The Government has issued guidelines for evaluating and awarding tenders for shipbuilding, dry-docking and ship repair works for government departments or agencies including public sector undertakings. Government departments or agencies, including PSUs procuring any type of vessel for government purposes, or for their own use, or requiring ship repair, shall henceforth, till 2025, grant ´Right of first refusal´to Indian shipyards. This will be done to enable them to match the lowest rate offered by the foreign bidder. Further, from 2025 onwards, only Indian-built vessels shall be procured by such departments and agencies for government purposes or for their own purposes. Such departments and agencies have to undertake bulk tendering for their entire vessel related requirements with deliveries starting from 2017-2018. This is in line with international practice where many countries place their acquisition, repair or chartering requirements on their shipyards.