New Delhi [India], August 23 (ANI): Defence Minister Rajnath Singh laid the foundation for five brownfield expansion projects of Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers Ltd. (GRSE) and Yantra India Limited (YIL) at GRSE Bhavan in Kolkata on Sunday, marking a major expansion of shipbuilding and defence manufacturing capabilities in West Bengal.
Speaking to ANI on the sidelines of the Bhoomi Pujan for the five brownfield expansion projects, CMde PR Hari, Indian Navy (Retd.), Chairman and Managing Director of GRSE, termed the initiative a landmark development for the defence public sector undertaking.
"It's a historic day for GRSE with five new facilities, three for GRSE and three shipbuilding facilities that too in West Bengal with an investment of nearly Rs 2,670 crore, a very big investment," Hari said. "So, there are two things in this, one is our capability and capacity will definitely increase, second is there is a lot of employment generation in this, direct or indirect."
The public sector warship builder entered into lease agreements with Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port, Kolkata (SMPK), to establish riverside infrastructure across three strategic locations along the Hooghly River. The flagship component involves a 32-acre hub at Raichak with an outlay exceeding Rs 2,500 crore, featuring a 200-metre dry dock and block fabrication units designed to manufacture warships measuring up to 200 metres and commercial vessels up to 60,000 DWT.
Highlighting the shipyard's track record and the intent to diversify operations under national manufacturing programmes, Hari pointed out the scope for broader production.
"We are primarily warship builders; we have delivered 118 warships, a century of warships so far," he said. "So, in warship building, our capability is already proven, but now there are opportunities in both warship building and commercial shipbuilding. In that, our PM's motto can be implemented as 'Make in India, Make for the world.'"
GRSE allocated roughly Rs 100 crore toward rejuvenating the four-acre Timber Pond facility at Shalimar for medium-sized vessels, alongside approximately Rs 70 crore for the Damodar site at Kidderpore Docks to execute vessel repairs and build electric ferries. In tandem, YIL undertook two upgrade projects worth over Rs 750 crore at the Metal and Steel Factory in Ishapore to manufacture critical forgings, gun barrels, and nuclear components.
"And today, what the Defence Minister has promised is that now capability is existing, capacity is limited," Hari said. "So, with these initiatives, we are enhancing the capacity, and capacity will increase, new technology will come, skill resources will come, definitely GRSE, 'Great GRSE' as what Defence Minister has suggested, that will happen."
The foundation ceremony saw the participation of senior defence and state administrative leadership, marking coordinated institutional support for industrial growth in the region.
"And this is a very motivating factor for us and the CM has also promised that any initiative that GRSE as the biggest manufacturing company in West Bengal....will get the full support of the CM and the West Bengal government," Hari said. (ANI)
West Bengal receives investment of Rs 2,670 crore for expansion of shipbuilding, defence projects
