Golden Opportunity for India in Shipbuilding and Repairs: Rajnath Singh in Kolkata

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said India has a “golden opportunity” to emerge as a major global hub for shipbuilding, ship repairs and maritime services by taking advantage of the growing gap between global demand and shipbuilding capacity.

Speaking in Kolkata on Sunday, Singh said demand for different types of vessels is increasing at a time when India's Navy is expanding and maritime security challenges are also growing.

“The demand for all types of vessels is rising. Our navy is expanding and so are the challenges in maritime defence,” Singh said.

He pointed to the changing global shipbuilding landscape, noting that several countries that once had strong maritime industries have seen their shipbuilding capacities decline over the years.

Singh referred to the United Kingdom's historical maritime expansion and said that the reduction in shipbuilding capacity in some countries has created a gap in the global market.

“There is a gap in global shipbuilding capacity. This is a golden opportunity for India,” he said.

The defence minister's remarks came during an event in Kolkata where he virtually laid the foundation stones for five expansion projects involving Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) and Yantra India Ltd.

The projects have a combined investment of around ₹3,500 crore and are aimed at expanding industrial and shipbuilding-related capabilities.

GRSE, a Nav Ratna public sector undertaking, also signed lease agreements with Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port, Kolkata (SMPK), as part of the expansion plans.

The agreements cover two shipyards located on either bank of the Hooghly river. GRSE will also use a 32-acre riverside facility at Raichak.

The expansion is significant for Kolkata and West Bengal because of the region's long association with shipbuilding and maritime activities. The new facilities are expected to provide additional capacity for shipbuilding and related industrial operations.

Singh's comments also come at a time when maritime infrastructure and shipbuilding are increasingly important to India's economic and defence priorities.

Growing demand for vessels globally, combined with the need to strengthen India's maritime capabilities, could create opportunities for domestic shipyards and related industries.

The government has been focusing on strengthening India's maritime manufacturing ecosystem, while public sector shipyards such as GRSE continue to play an important role in defence shipbuilding.

The projects announced in Kolkata are therefore part of a broader effort to expand industrial capacity and make greater use of India's existing maritime infrastructure.

Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, who was present at the event, thanked the Union defence minister for the investment in the state.

The expansion projects and the new facilities are expected to add to the industrial infrastructure around the Hooghly and strengthen Kolkata's role in India's maritime sector.