Andhra Pradesh has approved a major shipbuilding and port development push at Dugarajapatnam in Tirupati district, anchored by a new 50:50 special purpose vehicle (SPV) between the Andhra Pradesh Maritime Board (APMB) and Visakhapatnam Port Authority (VPA).
The SPV, National Shipbuilding & Heavy Industries Park Andhra Pradesh Ltd (NSHIP-AP Ltd), will spearhead a ₹29,253‑crore plan to develop a greenfield port and India’s first National Mega Shipbuilding Cluster over nearly 2,000 acres. Designed for about 1.2 million gross tonnes (GT) of annual capacity under the Shipbuilding Development Scheme, the cluster will feature an anchor shipyard of 0.5 million GT within a decade of commissioning, alongside ship‑repair yards, dry docks, ship lifts, heavy engineering units and outfitting berths.
NSHIP-AP will handle dredging, waterfront and common maritime infrastructure, internal logistics and utilities, while allocating plots to shipyards and ancillary units under PPPs, concessions and lease models. Backed by the Centre’s ₹19,989‑crore Shipbuilding Development Scheme and aligned with Maritime India Vision 2030 and Maritime Amrit Kaal Vision 2047, the project aims to position Andhra Pradesh as a strategic shipbuilding and marine manufacturing hub on India’s east coast, boosting domestic capacity, exports and jobs.
