Defence Ministry Initiates Major Shipbuilding and Manufacturing Expansion Projects in West Bengal

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 an event in Kolkata on Sunday. The development marks a significant expansion of shipbuilding and defence manufacturing capabilities in West Bengal, aimed at boosting domestic production under the Make in India initiative.

The foundation ceremonies took place simultaneously across sites located in Kidderpore, Shalimar, Raichak, and Ishapore. The event saw the attendance of 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.

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

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

In the manufacturing sector, YIL's Metal and Steel Factory in Ishapore is undertaking two projects with an investment exceeding ₹750 crore to bolster indigenous metallurgical output. This includes a ₹277.59-crore 3,000-tonne Heavy Duty Hydraulic Open Die Forging Press to replace an older 2,650-ton unit for manufacturing gun barrels, ammunition components, and heavy forgings. Furthermore, a ₹473.84-crore Radial Forging Plant will be established to produce super alloy forgings, aerial bomb tubes, ordnance hardware, railway axles, and nuclear reactor components.

Both YIL facilities incorporate Industry 4.0 and energy-efficient systems designed to reduce import dependency while supporting ancillary micro, small, and medium enterprises across the state.

"This large-scale infrastructure expansion highlights the government's sustained focus on strengthening domestic manufacturing and maritime capabilities. By committing substantial investments to modernise facilities across West Bengal, public sector undertakings like GRSE and Yantra India Limited are creating a robust ecosystem that will not only reduce import dependencies but also generate valuable growth opportunities for ancillary MSMEs operating in the region." — Dr. Shishir Gupta, Founder & CEO, StartupLanes