Big boost for West Bengal: West Bengal is set for a major expansion of its shipbuilding and defence manufacturing capabilities, with five brownfield projects involving an investment of more than Rs 3,420 crore.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh laid the foundation stones for five expansion projects of Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers Ltd (GRSE) and Yantra India Limited (YIL) at GRSE Bhavan in Kolkata on Sunday, August 23.
Three projects are being undertaken by GRSE, while YIL is implementing two projects at its Metal and Steel Factory in Ishapore. The projects are spread across Raichak, Shalimar, Kidderpore and Ishapore.
The expansion will increase shipbuilding, vessel repair and defence manufacturing capacity while supporting indigenous production and industrial activity in West Bengal.
Rs 2,500 crore shipbuilding hub planned at Raichak
The largest project is a 32-acre riverside facility at Raichak, with an investment of more than Rs 2,500 crore.
The facility will have a 356-metre waterfront, a 96-metre jetty and an 8-to-10-metre draught. It will include a 200-metre dry dock, slipway, launching pad and block fabrication units.
The infrastructure will enable GRSE to construct warships of up to 200 metres and commercial vessels of up to 60,000 DWT.
GRSE has entered into lease agreements with Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port, Kolkata (SMPK) to develop infrastructure across three strategic locations along the Hooghly River.
GRSE expands shipbuilding facilities in Shalimar, Kidderpore
GRSE has allocated around Rs 100 crore to rejuvenate its four-acre Timber Pond facility at Shalimar.
The project will restore the facility’s 130-metre dry dock and establish a 120-metre slipway. The site will be used for medium-sized shipbuilding and vessel repair activities.
Another Rs 70 crore has been earmarked for the Damodar facility at Kidderpore Docks. The facility will undertake repairs of medium-sized vessels and manufacture electric ferries and small crafts along its 25-metre waterfront.
The three GRSE projects together account for around Rs 2,670 crore in investment.
YIL to invest over Rs 750 crore in Ishapore
Yantra India Limited will undertake two projects worth more than Rs 750 crore at its Metal and Steel Factory in Ishapore.
A Rs 277.59-crore 3,000-tonne Heavy Duty Hydraulic Open Die Forging Press will replace the existing 2,650-tonne unit. It will manufacture gun barrels, ammunition components and heavy forgings.
A separate Rs 473.84-crore Radial Forging Plant will produce super-alloy forgings, aerial bomb tubes, ordnance hardware, railway axles and components for nuclear reactors.
Both facilities will incorporate Industry 4.0 technologies and energy-efficient systems. The projects are also intended to reduce import dependence and support ancillary micro, small and medium enterprises.
New projects to boost defence manufacturing capacity
The five projects will expand GRSE’s shipbuilding and repair infrastructure while strengthening YIL’s capacity to manufacture critical defence and industrial components.
The initiatives are also expected to create opportunities for supporting industries and contribute to employment generation in West Bengal.
The expansion forms part of the broader push to strengthen domestic defence manufacturing and indigenous industrial capacity under the Make in India initiative.