[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]The Minister of Shipping, Road Transport & Highways and Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation, Mr Nitin Gadkari, has said that Cochin is all set to become a global ship repair hub. He was speaking here after laying the foundation stone for a Rs 970 crore International Ship Repair Facility (ISRF) of Cochin Shipyard Ltd (CSL). The facility is being built at Cochin Port Trust where CSL has leased a 40-acre plot for the project.
The ISRF will be a state-of-the-art facility that can handle a major chunk of small- and medium-sized vessels plying in India. CSL will set up a ship lift system of size 130 m x 25 m with lifting capacity of 6,000 tonnes and 6 work stations. The facility can repair up to 85 vessels, and CSL will thereby be almost doubling the number of ships that can be repaired every year.
Pointing out that this facility will help boost India’s share in the commercial ship repair market, Mr Gadkari said that the industry will also generate about 6,000 direct and indirect jobs, besides giving rise to a number of ancillary industries in the state, thus having a multiplier effect on employment and economy.
Mr Gadkari also inaugurated the conference Build The Ship – 2017 organised by the Ministry of Shipping in Kochi. The event deliberated on the recommendations of a study on the growth strategies for promotion of shipbuilding, ship design, ship repair and marine ancillaries in India.
Joint venture
A joint venture between CSL and HDEPL, the Hooghly Cochin Shipyard Ltd (HCSL) has been incorporated with CSL having 74 per cent stake and HDEPL 26 per cent. A shareholders’ agreement was signed between CSL and HDEPL at the conference, for taking over manufacturing facilities of the latter in Kolkata. With this, CSL is setting the stage for revival and strengthening of the maritime heritage in Kolkata.
Mr Gadkari also visited Munnar where he laid the foundation stone for rehabilitation and upgradation of NH 85 from Bodimettu to Munnar to two-laned with paved shoulder. The 42 km project has an estimated cost of Rs 380.76 crore.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
