India’s shipbuilding capabilities, having strategic effect, are up for a boost, state-owned Mazagon Dockyard Shipbuilders Limited (MDL) planning to reclaim a huge chunk of land close to the main complex in Mumbai.
Confirming the development, a senior official of the dockyard said, “In addition to the 15 acres of land acquired earlier by us in MDL’s neighborhood, we plan to reclaim 10 acres more.” and, “this will be in line with consistent efforts being made to strengthen the shipbuilding capabilities of the country,” said the officer. Reclamation is the process of creating land by transforming water bodies.
There is a planned investment between Rs 4000–5000 crore aimed at sprucing up the infrastructure, and it will include establishing two more basins, the officer added.
The last major infrastructure added to MDL was the Kanhoji Angre wet basin, capable of berthing two frigates and two submarines for outfitting.
Going by the significance of the strategic outcomes of the indigenous shipbuilding, it will fructify into significant capability development, once complimented with further accrual of the shipbuilding capability enhancement of other shipyards.
This is to match the Chinese shipbuilding capability, which has made the Chinese PLA Navy operating the world’s fleet of over 370 ships, surpassing that of the US.
Meanwhile, the MDL is augmenting an overall increase in the throughput. A land parcel of approx. 15 acres was acquired on 29 Years Lease Term from Mumbai Port Authority (MPA), wef 01.04.2024, in order to decongest the existing Shipyard space. This land parcel is adjacent to the MDL perimeter on the southern side. The total cost of acquisition is approximately Rs 354 crore.
As per the Ministry of Defence, this 15 acre would be developed for simultaneous construction and outfitting of new builds & repairs/refits of various types of vessels. The new infrastructure will give adequate bandwidth to the shipyard for simultaneous execution of various projects.
Another 37 acres at the Nhava Sheva Port was acquired at the cost of approx. Rs 3,000 cr. These two areas, the official said, would be making MDL future-proof with respect to the infrastructure constraints.
At present, the Deadweight Tonnage (DWT) is 40 kilotonnes (40,000 metric tons). “With the Infrastructure as planned in MDL’s neighbourhood once raised, it will go up to 80 DWT. Once Nhava Shipyard starts, then we oversee a total of 200,000 DWT.”, the sources added.
DWT is the maximum weight a ship can carry.
At present, MDL has a capacity to construct 11 submarines and 10 warships simultaneously at the existing premises. The future construction requirements are expected to be commensurate with the future platforms, which are likely to be larger in dimensions with a deeper draft.
The MDL is expected to ink twin submarine building projects, The New Indian Express reported earlier, estimated to cost over Rs 1.06 lakh crore, involving the Project 75-India and an add-on project which the MDL completed in January this year. These projects are expected to boost Indian Navy's underwater combat capabilities, indigenously.
A total of 61 warships and submarines are being constructed in India, another tranche of allocation, again for indigenous construction of 17 warships and 9 submarines, is awaited go-ahead in near future. (For details, read TNIE’s July 7 edition.)
Going by the Indian Navy’s plans to be a 175 capital ship navy and taking the geopolitical situation into account, MDL, along with the other defence and private shipyards, is expected to play a significant role.
India's strategic defence shipbuilder Mazagon Dockyard has planned a major infrastructure up-gradation.
The two investments will give a cumulative up-gradation from the current ship tonnage construction weight to around 200,000 tonnes.
The current capacity of the MDL is simultaneous construction of 11 submarines and 10 larger warships of the level of near 150 meters long destroyers.
Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL) is celebrating its 250th Foundation Day on May 14, 2024. The Mazagon Dockyard was established in 1774 and the Government of India took it over in 1960. So far, 806 vessels have been constructed, with 214 platforms constructed for other countries. It also includes 31 Capital Warships, 8 Submarines manufactured for the Indian Navy.