Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has laid the foundation for five major shipbuilding and defence manufacturing expansion projects in West Bengal, worth nearly ₹3,500 crore, marking a decisive step in India’s drive towards self-reliance in maritime and strategic capabilities.

The projects include three facilities of Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) and two of Yantra India Limited (YIL), positioning India to become a global shipbuilding hub.

Rajnath Singh, accompanied by West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, presided over the virtual foundation stone laying ceremony in Kolkata. He emphasised that India is capable of seizing the global opportunity in shipbuilding, as traditional shipbuilding nations are reducing production.

He noted that India’s large workforce, strong steel industry, and adaptability to new technologies provide the foundation for this transformation.

The expansion projects comprise three GRSE facilities at Kidderpore, Shalimar, and Raichak, and two YIL projects at the Metal and Steel Factory in Ishapore. Together, they represent a combined investment of nearly ₹3,500 crore.

Singh highlighted that these projects will not only boost India’s naval construction and defence forging capacity but also generate employment and strengthen MSMEs and ancillary industries.

The centrepiece of GRSE’s expansion is the Raichak shipyard, a 32-acre riverside facility with a 356-metre waterfront, 96-metre jetty, and 8–10 metre draught. It will feature a 200-metre dry dock, slipway, launching pad, and block fabrication facilities, enabling construction of warships up to 200 metres and commercial vessels up to 60,000 DWT. This facility alone carries an investment of over ₹2,500 crore and will allow GRSE to bid for next-generation destroyer contracts.

The Timber Pond facility at Shalimar, rejuvenated with nearly ₹100 crore, will restore its 130-metre dry dock and add a 120-metre slipway for medium-sized shipbuilding and repairs. The Damodar facility at Kidderpore, with an investment of around ₹70 crore, will focus on medium-sized vessel repairs and construction of electric ferries and small crafts. Together, these projects will strengthen India’s shipbuilding value chain.

At YIL’s Ishapore complex, two projects worth over ₹750 crore will modernise indigenous metallurgical and defence manufacturing. The ₹277.59-crore 3,000-ton Heavy Duty Hydraulic Open Die Forging Press will replace the ageing 2,650-ton press, producing gun barrels, ammunition components, and heavy defence forgings.

The ₹473.84-crore Radial Forging Plant will manufacture super alloy forgings, aerial bomb tubes, ordnance hardware, railway axles, and nuclear reactor components, supporting India’s advanced defence ecosystem.

Singh praised GRSE’s record of building over 800 vessels, including the advanced guided-missile frigate INS Dunagiri delivered earlier this year. He noted that next-generation offshore patrol vessels under construction will have more than 80 per cent indigenous content, demonstrating India’s rapid progress in reducing dependence on foreign imports. He also commended YIL’s investment in Industry 4.0-capable precision manufacturing, replacing legacy systems dating back to 1976.

Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari described the projects as a “new renaissance of development” for West Bengal, contrasting them with the past closures and lockouts of factories. He stressed that the collaboration between the Centre and the state would usher in industrial revival and strategic growth.

Rajnath Singh concluded by stating that self-reliance is not merely a policy but a force multiplier for battlefield capability.

He framed the expansion as part of India’s broader Atmanirbhar Bharat vision, ensuring strategic autonomy, economic resilience, and global competitiveness in shipbuilding and defence manufacturing.

PTI