The Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways has accorded in-principle approval to two major maritime infrastructure projects in Gujarat—a Greenfield shipbuilding cluster in Porbandar district and a ₹1,570-crore ship repair facility at Vadinar—under the Shipbuilding Development Scheme (SbDS), in a move aimed at strengthening India’s domestic shipbuilding and ship repair capabilities.
The projects are part of the government’s Maritime Amrit Kaal Vision 2047 and are intended to boost indigenous manufacturing, reduce dependence on overseas repair facilities and position India as a global shipbuilding hub.
The Greenfield shipbuilding cluster will be developed at Kuchhadi in Porbandar district through the National Shipbuilding and Heavy Industries Park–Gujarat (NSHIP-Gujarat), a special purpose vehicle jointly promoted by the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways and the Gujarat Maritime Board.
According to the ministry, the Greenfield shipbuilding cluster will be spread across nearly 2,000 acres at Kuchhadi in Gujarat’s Porbandar district. The integrated maritime manufacturing hub will house modern shipyards, ancillary manufacturing units, common infrastructure and capability development centres. It is expected to produce large commercial vessels with an annual capacity of 1.2–1.5 million gross tonnage (GT), significantly expanding India’s domestic shipbuilding capacity.
The second project is a brownfield expansion of a ship repair facility at Vadinar in the Gulf of Kutch, to be jointly developed by Cochin Shipyard Ltd. (CSL) and the Deendayal Port Authority (DPA). The project, which received approval from the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) in May this year, has now been granted in-principle approval under the SbDS, making it eligible for 25 per cent financial assistance on capital infrastructure.
The ministry said the ₹1,570-crore facility will include a 650-metre jetty, two large floating dry docks, workshops and supporting marine infrastructure. Leveraging Vadinar’s natural deep draft and strategic location along major international shipping routes, the facility will be capable of repairing vessels of up to 300 metres in length, reducing India’s dependence on overseas shipyards for large commercial vessel repairs.
Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal said the projects mark another milestone in the transformation of India’s maritime sector under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership.
He said the government has laid a strong foundation through reforms, infrastructure development and policy support, and the next phase will focus on enhancing competitiveness, efficiency and investment to make the maritime sector a key driver of a developed India.
Sonowal said the Porbandar and Vadinar projects would strengthen India’s maritime manufacturing ecosystem, generate substantial employment, deepen domestic supply chains and build a globally competitive shipbuilding and ship repair industry aligned with the vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat and Viksit Bharat.
The Shipbuilding Development Scheme is a key component of the Centre’s broader policy framework to accelerate shipbuilding capacity, attract investment, promote indigenous manufacturing and encourage greater private sector participation in the maritime sector.
