Hindustan Shipyard Limited (HSL) on Friday laid the keel of the second 60-tonne bollard pull tug being built for the Visakhapatnam Port Authority (VPA). VPA chairperson Jasmeet Singh Bindra was the chief guest at the keel-laying ceremony.
Officials from VPA, HSL, Indian Register of Shipping (IRS) and Solas Marine were present. The contract was signed in December 2025 and the tug is being built to IRS class. The sister tug has crossed 60% completion, with both vessels scheduled to float out together in October.
This is HSL’s 13th vessel for VPA since the launch of Shanti in 1970.
Jasmeet Singh Bindra said the two tugs are strategic assets that will strengthen safe berthing and cut turnaround time at the port, reflecting HSL’s renewed momentum under Make in India and Atma Nirbhar Bharat. He called VPA and HSL two heritage organisations of Vizag, both serving the nation for over 90 years, commending HSL for holding its timelines, from steel cutting in February to keel laying on Friday.
HSL Chairman and Managing Director Chandrasekharan Raghuram thanked Bindra, VPA officials, IRS and HSL officers, and said HSL remained committed to delivering on its word. He outlined a larger partnership taking shape with VPA, including a proposed 60-tonne electric tug and green fleet conversion, a long-term ship repair tie-up using HSL’s dry dock, and a future shipbuilding complex at Dugarajapatnam.
