With an estimated ₹1,600 crore investment, Cochin Shipyard Ltd. and the Deendayal Port Authority (DPA), both state-owned companies, will work together to build a cutting-edge ship repair facility in Vadinar, Gujarat, that can dry dock Capesize ships.
By enhancing its current facilities at its flagship yard in Kochi, the recently opened international ship repair facility at Cochin Port, and repair units at Mumbai Port, Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port, and Port Blair, this ambitious project seeks to solidify Cochin Shipyard’s position as India’s leading ship repairer.
The plan calls for Cochin Shipyard to supply a floating dry dock and handle the ship repair yard’s operations and maintenance, while Deendayal Port Authority, which oversees the port at Kandla, will build a jetty at Vadinar. According to a government official acquainted with the proposal, the port authority will also get a set percentage of the money made from ship repairs in addition to leasing rentals.
After visiting Vadinar, a high-level team from Cochin Shipyard, headed by Chairman and Managing Director Madhu Nair, indicated interest in setting up the ship repair unit there. The largest type of dry bulk carriers, Capesize vessels, cannot yet be dry docked in India.
The Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways is currently reviewing the Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the facility before presenting it to the cabinet for approval.
