Gujarat rolls out shipbuilding plan to draw up to Rs 35,000 cr investment

The Gujarat government launched the Gujarat Shipbuilding and Repair Policy 2026, aiming to turn the state into India’s premier maritime manufacturing hub. The policy calls for two Integrated Mega Shipbuilding Parks that would raise the state's shipbuilding capacity to more than 5 million deadweight tonnes (DWT) and includes fiscal incentives, infrastructure development and skill‑training programmes for over five lakh workers. Investment targets are set at more than Rs 27,000 crore, aligned with the central Shipbuilding Financial Assistance Scheme and the Maritime Vision 2047.

In parallel, the Gujarat Maritime Board issued Expressions of Interest for three greenfield shipyards at Mithapur, Ghogha and Vadhera, an Integrated Mega Shipbuilding Cluster at Kuchhadi in Porbandar, and six new greenfield ports along the coastline. The shipyard projects span over 4,500 hectares and are expected to attract investments exceeding Rs 35,000 crore, with a combined annual capacity of 3‑3.9 million gross tonnes. The proposed ports, covering about 3,200 hectares, would handle 5‑10 million tonnes per annum and draw roughly Rs 10,000 crore. All projects will be pursued under a Build‑Own‑Operate‑Transfer (BOOT) model.