KOLKATA: In a significant milestone for India’s shipbuilding & defence manufacturing sector, Shri Rajnath Singh, Hon’ble Defence Minister of India, in the august presence of Shri Suvendu Adhikari, Hon’ble Chief Minister of West Bengal, laid the foundation for five brownfield expansion projects of Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers Ltd. (GRSE), a Navratna Defence PSU and Yantra India Limited (YIL), at GRSE Bhavan, Kolkata on 23 Aug 26.
The ceremony was also graced by Shri Manoj Agarwal, Chief Secretary, Government of West Bengal, Shri Sanjeev Kumar, IAS, Secretary, Department of Defence Production, Ministry of Defence, Government of India, Dr JP Dash, DG Ordnance (C&S), Cmde PR Hari, Chairman & Managing Director, GRSE, Shri Vijaykumar Iyer, Chairman & Managing Director, YIL, along with senior officials of GRSE and YIL.
The three projects of GRSE mark a significant step towards enhancing the shipyard’s manufacturing capacity and infrastructure, enabling the company to meet the growing requirements of the Maritime Forces and other defence and maritime stakeholders, while advancing the Government of India’s Aatmanirbhar Bharat and Make in India vision. The Bhumi Pujan ceremonies were conducted simultaneously at Kidderpore, Shalimar, Raichak and Ishapore across West Bengal.
As part of its capacity expansion, GRSE has signed lease agreements with Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port, Kolkata (SMPK) for two small shipyards on either bank of the Hooghly, along with a 32-acre riverside property at Raichak, to enhance its capabilities in warship construction and refit, as well as the construction and repair of small and medium-sized commercial vessels. The Raichak facility, with a 356-metre waterfront, 96-metre jetty and 8–10 metre draught, will be developed as a shipbuilding hub with an investment of over ₹2,500 crore, featuring a 200-metre dry dock, slipway, launching pad, jetties and block fabrication facilities, enabling construction of warships up to 200 metres and commercial vessels up to 60,000 DWT.
The 4-acre Timber Pond facility at Shalimar will be rejuvenated with nearly ₹100 crore for medium-sized shipbuilding and repairs, including restoration of the 130-metre dry dock and construction of a 120-metre slipway, while the Damodar facility at Kidderpore Docks, comprising an old workshop and 25-metre waterfront, will receive around ₹70 crore for medium-sized vessel repairs and construction of electric ferries and other small crafts.
