Swan Defence and Heavy Industries (SDHI) has signed a Rs 4,250 crore memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Gujarat Maritime Board (GMB) to boost India’s shipbuilding sector.

The investment will be spread across three projects at SDHI’s Pipavav Port shipyard, which hosts India’s largest dry dock with capacity for vessels up to 4,00,000 DWT. Of this, Rs 3,500 crore will be used for expanding shipyard infrastructure including slipways, jetties, cranes, block fabrication, and dredging. A Rs 200-crore centre of excellence (CoE) for Maritime will also be set up to train over 1,000 youth annually in ship design, retrofits, and construction through labs, simulators, and design software. 

Additionally, a Rs 550 crore maritime cluster will be developed over 200 acres to house ancillary industries and suppliers. SDHI has also inked an MoU with Sagarmala Finance Corporation (SMFCL) to explore sustainable shipbuilding, financing frameworks, and localisation of supply chains, aligning with India’s Maritime Amrit Kaal Vision 2047.

 In addition, state-run Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE) will partner with Deendayal Port Authority to set up a new facility at Kandla, while GRSE and Goa’s Dempo Group’s Modest Infrastructure plan an integrated yard at Ratanpar in Bhavnagar district.