Hindustan Shipyard and Kakinada Port partner to Expand Shipbuilding

Hindustan Shipyard Limited signs an MoU with Kakinada Seaports to utilise and upgrade existing slipways and jetty facilities for shipbuilding, expand domestic maritime capacity and explore major joint projects.

Hindustan Shipyard Limited (HSL), a public sector shipbuilding company under the Ministry of Defence, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Kakinada Seaports Limited (KSPL) to develop shipbuilding capabilities at the latter’s facility in Kakinada, Andhra Pradesh. The partnership aims to expand India’s domestic shipbuilding capacity by utilising existing maritime infrastructure and exploring opportunities for major shipbuilding projects.

The agreement was signed at the International Conference on Marine Technology (INMARCO) in Mumbai by Rear Admiral Chandrasekharan Raghuram, VSM (Retd), Chairman and Managing Director of HSL, and K.V. Rao, Chairman and Managing Director of KSPL.

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Under the MoU, both organisations will work towards utilising and upgrading existing infrastructure at the KSPL premises, including slipways and jetty facilities, to support shipbuilding operations. The facilities will be assessed for their suitability and augmented wherever necessary to accommodate the requirements of ship construction.

The partnership will also explore collaborative business models to identify and undertake major shipbuilding projects by combining the technical expertise, operational capabilities and resources of both organisations. This approach is expected to create additional opportunities in shipbuilding and allied maritime activities while improving the utilisation of existing port infrastructure.

HSL, headquartered in Visakhapatnam, undertakes shipbuilding, ship repair, submarine-related activities and engineering services for defence and commercial vessels. The company operates under the Ministry of Defence and holds Miniratna Category-I status. KSPL operates the Kakinada Deep Water Port and provides maritime infrastructure that could support the proposed expansion.

The collaboration reflects the growing importance of partnerships between shipyards and port operators in developing India's maritime manufacturing ecosystem. By making use of existing facilities, the initiative seeks to expand shipbuilding capacity without relying entirely on the development of new shipyard infrastructure.

HSL has also highlighted the need for coordinated participation from shipyards, ports, regulators, designers, suppliers, financial institutions and local communities to strengthen the country's shipbuilding industry.

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The MoU aligns with India's broader efforts to increase indigenous shipbuilding, strengthen maritime infrastructure and reduce dependence on overseas shipbuilding facilities. However, the agreement does not specify an investment amount, construction schedule or particular vessels to be built at the Kakinada facility. These details will depend on the assessment and subsequent project-level arrangements between the organisations.