CSL's Rs 970 crore facility to make India self sufficient in ship repair: Gadkari

With the ambition of shaping Kochi as a global ship repair hub, Cochin Shipyard Ltd began the work on its Rs 970-crore international ship repair facility ( ISRF) on Friday.

Nitin Gadkari, union minister for shipping, road transport and highways performed the ground breaking ceremony for the ISRF at Cochin Port Trust where CSL has leased out a 40-acre plot for developing the project.

ISRF is a Rs. 970 crore project approved by the Centre in May 2016. The facility can repair up to 85 vessels, and CSL will thereby be almost doubling the number of ships that can be repaired per year.

“This is a historical movement in the history of Kerala and Cochin Shipyard. This will give 6000 job opportunities to the state directly and indirectly. As of now,our country is facing lack of technology for the ship repairing and maintenance activities. With this new facility we need not to depend other countries said Gadkari.

“On completion within two years, Kochi will be a major ship repair hub in India generating an additional employment of around 1500 personnel”, said Cochin Shipyard chairman and managing director Madhu S Nair.