Tata's Artson Engineering and Malabar Cements Begin Work on ₹500 Crore Shipbuilding Unit at Cochin Port
Work has begun on a shipbuilding unit at Cochin Port, being developed through a joint venture between Malabar Cements Limited and Artson Engineering Limited, a company within the Tata Projects Group, Kerala Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan announced. The Chief Minister said all major approvals required for the project have been secured.
The Cochin Port Authority has allotted the required land for the facility and preliminary development work has started at the site. The project, for which a Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the two partners in February 2025, is estimated at around ₹500 crore and is designed to manufacture passenger vessels of up to 100 tonnes displacement.
The shipbuilding unit forms part of Mission Samudra, the Kerala government's broader initiative to build a comprehensive maritime ecosystem in the state. According to the Chief Minister, Mission Samudra extends beyond this single facility, aiming to integrate shipbuilding, ship repair, offshore fabrication, marine engineering, coastal manufacturing, logistics and other maritime services by leveraging the state's coastal infrastructure, including the Vizhinjam International Seaport and Cochin Port.
The state government has allocated ₹400 crore for Mission Samudra in its recent budget, as it works to position Kerala as a maritime manufacturing and services hub. The Cochin Port shipbuilding facility marks one of the more advanced projects under the initiative, with land allotment and preliminary construction already underway.