Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Ltd (MDL) will invest around Rs 27,000 crore to establish a greenfield shipbuilding cluster at Dighi in Raigad district, Maharashtra, in a move expected to generate 90,000 jobs, the Maharashtra government said on Tuesday.
MDL signed a Memorandum of Understanding with National Shipbuilding and Heavy Industries Park Maharashtra Limited (NSHPML) in the presence of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. The agreement establishes MDL as the anchor shipbuilding centre within the proposed Greenfield Shipbuilding Industrial Cluster at Dighi. NSHPML is a Special Purpose Vehicle jointly established by the Maharashtra Maritime Board and the Mumbai Port Authority to develop the cluster.
Under the terms of the MoU, MDL has set a target of achieving an annual shipbuilding capacity of at least 2 million gross tonnes at Dighi, backed by the proposed Rs 27,000 crore investment, which will enable construction of large commercial vessels and strengthen the country’s maritime industrial capabilities.
According to the state government, the Dighi project will create modern shipbuilding infrastructure and an industrial and supply chain ecosystem to support the sector. It is expected to boost domestic shipbuilding capacity, attract technology and investment, create skilled employment and enhance India’s competitiveness in the global maritime sector. The project is aligned with the Central government’s national shipbuilding cluster plan and advances the strategic objectives of the Maritime Amrit Kaal Vision 2047.
MDL Chairman and Managing Director Captain Jagmohan said the company would work towards creating a modern, globally competitive shipbuilding facility at Dighi with the cooperation of all stakeholders.
