The Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW) has given in-principle approval to two major maritime infrastructure projects: a greenfield shipbuilding cluster in Porbandar, Gujarat, and a ship repair facility at Vadinar in the Gulf of Kutch. Both fall under the Shipbuilding Development Scheme (SbDS), a key pillar of India’s push to become a global shipbuilding hub under the Maritime Amrit Kaal Vision 2047.
The shipbuilding cluster will come up on nearly 2,000 acres at Kuchhadi in Porbandar district, developed through NSHIP-Gujarat, an SPV jointly promoted by MoPSW and the Gujarat Maritime Board. The integrated facility will house modern shipyards, ancillary manufacturing units, common infrastructure and capability development centres, with an annual production capacity of 1.2 to 1.5 million gross tonnage. It is designed to build large commercial vessels and position Gujarat as a hub for heavy-tonnage vessel construction.
The second project is a ₹1,570-crore ship repair facility at Vadinar, to be developed jointly by Cochin Shipyard Ltd. and Deendayal Port Authority. The project received Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs approval on May 5, 2026, and has now secured in-principle SbDS approval for 25% financial assistance on eligible capital infrastructure. The brownfield facility will include a 650-metre jetty, two large floating dry docks, and supporting workshops and marine infrastructure. Once operational, it will handle repairs for vessels up to 300 metres in length, drawing on Vadinar’s deep draft and proximity to Mundra and Deendayal Port.
Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal said the maritime sector has undergone a “historic transformation” over the past 12 years under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and that the next phase would focus on minimal governance, competitiveness and efficiency to make the sector a driver of Viksit Bharat. He added that the two projects would boost employment, deepen India’s maritime manufacturing ecosystem, strengthen domestic supply chains and support the goals of Atmanirbhar Bharat.
The Shipbuilding Development Scheme remains central to the government’s broader policy framework to accelerate capacity creation, attract investment, and increase indigenous manufacturing and private sector participation in shipbuilding.
