India expands shipbuilding capacity with new West Bengal projects

Defense Minister Rajnath Singh has laid the foundation stones for five expansion projects in West Bengal, valued at approximately 3,500 crore rupees. These projects involve Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE) and Yantra India Limited, aimed at positioning India as a global hub for shipbuilding.

GRSE plans to invest over 2,670 crore rupees to develop three facilities. This includes the construction of a large vessel shipyard in Raichak, South 24 Parganas, and infrastructure upgrades at existing facilities in Shalimar, Kolkata, and Howrah. The upgrades will focus on medium and small ships, as well as boats, ferries, and S-type vessels.

To enhance warship construction and repair capabilities, GRSE has entered a lease agreement with the Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port, Kolkata (SMPK). This agreement includes two small shipyards on both banks of the Hooghly River and 32 acres of riverside land in Raichak. GRSE officials noted that the company has already contributed to 40 percent of the 270 warships built in India and aims to increase its simultaneous production capacity from 28 to 32 platforms.