Defence ministry backs major shipbuilding, manufacturing expansion in West Bengal

New Delhi: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh laid the foundation for five brownfield expansion projects of Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers Ltd. (GRSE) and Yantra India Limited (YIL) at GRSE Bhavan in Kolkata on Sunday, marking a major expansion of shipbuilding and defence manufacturing capabilities in West Bengal. The move aims to boost domestic production under the Make in India initiative and enhance the operational infrastructure required by maritime forces and key strategic sectors.

The event was attended by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, West Bengal Chief Secretary Manoj Agarwal, Defence Production Secretary Sanjeev Kumar, Director General Ordnance (C&S) JP Dash, GRSE Chairman and Managing Director Cmde PR Hari, and YIL Chairman and Managing Director Vijaykumar Iyer. The foundation ceremonies were conducted simultaneously across sites in Kidderpore, Shalimar, Raichak, and Ishapore.

Under the expansion plan, Navratna defence PSU GRSE signed lease agreements with Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port, Kolkata (SMPK) to develop three sites along the Hooghly river. The largest among these is a 32-acre riverside facility at Raichak, planned as a major shipbuilding hub with an investment exceeding Rs 2,500 crore. Featuring a 356-metre waterfront, a 96-metre jetty, and an 8-to-10-metre draught, this facility includes a 200-metre dry dock, slipway, launching pad, and block fabrication units capable of constructing warships up to 200 metres and commercial vessels up to 60,000 DWT.


GRSE also allocated around Rs 100 crore to rejuvenate the 4-acre Timber Pond facility at Shalimar for medium-sized shipbuilding and repairs, restoring its 130-metre dry dock and setting up a 120-metre slipway. Additionally, an investment of approximately Rs 70 crore is directed toward the Damodar facility at Kidderpore Docks to carry out medium-sized vessel repairs and manufacture electric ferries and small crafts along its 25-metre waterfront.

At YIL's Metal and Steel Factory in Ishapore, two projects with an investment exceeding Rs 750 crore aim to bolster indigenous metallurgical output. A Rs 277.59-crore 3,000-ton Heavy Duty Hydraulic Open Die Forging Press will replace an older 2,650-ton unit to manufacture gun barrels, ammunition components, and heavy forgings.

Alongside it, a Rs 473.84-crore Radial Forging Plant will produce super alloy forgings, aerial bomb tubes, ordnance hardware, railway axles, and nuclear reactor components. Both YIL facilities integrate Industry 4.0 and energy-efficient systems to reduce import dependency while assisting ancillary micro, small, and medium enterprises across the state.