India aims to become one of the world’s top 10 shipbuilding nations by 2030 and among the top five by 2047, said Cmde PR Hari, IN (Retd.), Chairman and Managing Director, Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE), while interacting with a media delegation from Telangana as part of the PIB Hyderabad media tour in Kolkata today.

Cmde PR Hari said India currently accounts for less than 0.1 per cent of global shipbuilding and that achieving the national targets would require significant expansion of shipbuilding capacity and strengthening of the domestic maritime ecosystem.

“From a minuscule, less than 0.1 per cent, to become the top 10 and top 5 is extremely challenging. We really have to ramp up our shipbuilding capability,” he said.

He highlighted the Government’s policy initiatives and the ‘Make in India, Make for the World’ approach, noting that demand is growing across defence, commercial shipping and export markets.

GRSE has built and delivered 118 warships so far. The shipyard constructed INS Ajay in 1961, marking a significant milestone in India’s indigenous warship-building journey. It also achieved the distinction of delivering three warships of three different classes on a single day on March 30, 2026. The three warships were subsequently commissioned into the Indian Navy by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi on June 21, 2026.

GRSE was accorded Navratna status on June 19, 2026, and recorded revenue from operations of ₹7,002 crore in 2025-26.

The shipyard is expanding beyond defence shipbuilding into commercial and non-defence segments. While nearly 95 per cent of its order book was from warship building around five years ago, the non-defence segment now accounts for around 20–25 per cent of orders.

GRSE is executing a project for 12 multi-purpose vessels for a German commercial ship owner and has also undertaken projects for Mauritius, Seychelles and Guyana.

“We have moved into commercial shipbuilding. With the opportunities that we see in commercial shipbuilding, the proportion of non-defence orders is expected to rise in the coming years,” Cmde PR Hari said.

GRSE currently has the capacity for concurrent construction of 28 large, medium and small vessels, which is being enhanced to 32 vessels through ongoing infrastructure development.

To meet growing demand, the company is pursuing greenfield and brownfield expansion. A major shipbuilding facility is being developed at Raichak in West Bengal, with planned investment of more than ₹2,500 crore. GRSE is also exploring a major facility on the western coast, with negotiations underway for a facility in Gujarat.

The shipyard is closely integrated with India’s MSME ecosystem, with around 2,500 MSMEs associated with its activities. Nearly 69 per cent of GRSE’s domestic procurement during the previous year was through MSMEs.

GRSE is also promoting innovation through its GAINS – GRSE Accelerated Innovation Nurturing Scheme. Startup participation has increased from 49 in the first edition to around 61 in the second and 101 in the third. The company has set a target of engaging with more than 150 startups in the latest edition.

On indigenisation, Cmde PR Hari said the indigenous content in recent major warship projects completed by GRSE is more than 85 per cent. Efforts are underway to further indigenise critical systems, particularly propulsion-related technologies.

GRSE’s portable modular steel bridges, popularly known as Bailey Bridges, have also emerged as a growing business vertical. Revenue from the segment increased from around ₹35 crore approximately four years ago to more than ₹200 crore in the previous year, with a target of ₹250 crore this year. The bridges are supplied to the Border Roads Organisation, Indian Army, National Highways Infrastructure Development Corporation and State Public Works Departments, and are particularly suited for difficult terrain and disaster-response operations.

Cmde PR Hari said the growing requirements of the Indian Navy and Coast Guard, rising international interest in Indian shipyards and expanding domestic commercial demand present significant opportunities for the Indian shipbuilding sector.

 

He emphasised that capacity expansion, indigenous technology development, a strong MSME ecosystem and greater integration with global markets would be key to strengthening India’s position in global shipbuilding.

The interaction provided the Telangana media delegation an overview of GRSE’s capabilities, its contribution to indigenous defence manufacturing and its plans to expand its presence in defence, commercial shipbuilding and international markets.

 

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