MDL to Invest ₹27,000 Crore in Greenfield Shipbuilding Cluster at Dighi, Maharashtra
Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Ltd (MDL), a defence public sector undertaking, will invest around ₹27,000 crore to establish a greenfield shipbuilding cluster at Dighi Port in Maharashtra's Raigad district, a project expected to generate 90,000 jobs. MDL signed a memorandum of understanding with National Shipbuilding and Heavy Industries Park Maharashtra Ltd (NSHIPML) in the presence of Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Minister for Fisheries and Ports Nitesh Rane.
Under the agreement, MDL has set a target of achieving an annual shipbuilding capacity of at least 2 million gross tonnes at Dighi. The proposed shipyard, billed as India's largest, will be developed jointly by the Centre and the state government and will manufacture both warships and commercial ships, in addition to undertaking shipbuilding, shipbreaking, ship recycling and ship repair activities.
The greenfield cluster is being developed jointly by the Maharashtra Maritime Board and the Mumbai Port Authority through NSHIPML, a special-purpose company established for the project. It is being taken forward under the Centre's Greenfield Shipbuilding Cluster Development Plan and is expected to complement the objectives of the Maritime Amrit Kaal Vision 2047. The project has also received in-principle approval for an expenditure of ₹27,500 crore under the National Shipbuilding Mission.
The Dighi project is expected to create modern shipbuilding infrastructure along with a supporting industrial and supply-chain ecosystem, boosting domestic shipbuilding capacity, attracting technology and investment, and enhancing India's competitiveness in the global maritime sector. MDL Chairman and Managing Director Captain Jagmohan said the company would work toward creating a modern, globally competitive shipbuilding facility at the site.