Kolkata, India – August 23, 2026
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, accompanied by West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, virtually laid the foundation stone for five brownfield expansion projects of Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers Limited (GRSE) and Yantra India Limited (YIL), together worth nearly ₹3,500 crore. The Bhumi Pujan ceremony was held at GRSE Bhavan in Kolkata, with foundation ceremonies conducted simultaneously across sites in Kidderpore, Shalimar, Raichak and Ishapore.
“India is capable of becoming a global shipbuilding hub. There is a vacuum occurring in the global shipbuilding industry, and India can capture this opportunity,” Singh said at the ceremony, adding that the projects would further reduce India’s dependence on foreign sources for defence manufacturing.
Project Details
GRSE, a Navratna Defence PSU, is developing three facilities under lease agreements signed with Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port, Kolkata (SMPK):
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Raichak (South 24 Parganas): The largest of the five projects, a 32-acre riverside site with an investment exceeding ₹2,500 crore. The facility will feature a 356-metre waterfront, a 96-metre jetty, an 8–10 metre draught, a 200-metre dry dock, slipway, launching pad and block fabrication units — enabling construction of warships up to 200 metres long and commercial vessels up to 60,000 DWT (Supramax class).
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Timber Pond, Shalimar (Howrah): A four-acre facility being rejuvenated with an investment of nearly ₹100 crore, restoring a 130-metre dry dock and adding a 120-metre slipway for medium-sized shipbuilding and repair.
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Damodar, Kidderpore Docks: An investment of approximately ₹70 crore to support medium-sized vessel repairs and construction of electric ferries and small craft.
Yantra India Limited, a Miniratna Category-I PSU formed in 2021 from the restructured Ordnance Factory Board, is investing more than ₹750 crore at its Metal and Steel Factory (MSF) in Ishapore:
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A ₹277.59 crore, 3,000-tonne Heavy Duty Hydraulic Open Die Forging Press, replacing an ageing 2,650-tonne unit, to manufacture gun barrels, ammunition components and heavy forgings.
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A ₹473.84 crore Radial Forging Plant, producing super-alloy forgings for gun barrels, ammunition, defence forgings, railway axles and nuclear components.
Singh noted that the YIL investment would replace legacy systems dating back to 1976 with Industry 4.0-capable precision manufacturing infrastructure.
Officials Present
The ceremony was attended by West Bengal Chief Secretary Manoj Agarwal; Secretary, Department of Defence Production, Sanjeev Kumar; Director General Ordnance (Coordination & Services) Dr JP Dash; GRSE Chairman and Managing Director Commodore PR Hari; and YIL Chairman and Managing Director Vijaykumar Iyer, along with senior officials from both organisations.
Company Context
GRSE, founded in 1884 and nationalised in 1960, was granted Navratna status in June 2026. The shipyard reported revenue of ₹5,410.52 crore for FY2025, with an order book of approximately ₹27,500 crore. YIL, formed in October 2021 as one of seven successor entities to the Ordnance Factory Board, received Miniratna Category-I status in February 2026, with sales rising from ₹956 crore in H2 FY2021-22 to considerably higher levels by FY2024-25; the company manufactures carbon fibre and glass composites, aluminium alloys, and assembly products for ammunition, armoured vehicles, artillery guns and main battle tanks.
Broader Context
Singh described the projects as advancing “Aatmanirbharta” (self-reliance), “Make in India” and “Make for the World,” and referenced “Raksha Shakti” as among the “Saptadhara” the seven streams of national strength, cited by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Officials said the expansion is expected to create jobs and generate opportunities for MSMEs and ancillary industries across West Bengal’s engineering and manufacturing base, reinforcing the state’s role in India’s shipbuilding and broader defence-industrial ecosystem.
About GRSE: Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers Limited is a Kolkata-headquartered Navratna Defence PSU specialising in the design, construction and repair of naval and commercial vessels for the Indian Navy, Coast Guard and export customers.
About Yantra India Limited: Yantra India Limited is a Nagpur-headquartered Miniratna Category-I defence PSU formed from the restructured Ordnance Factory Board, operating eight manufacturing units producing forgings, castings, and metal and steel components for India’s armed forces.