Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers Ltd. (GRSE) and Yantra India Limited (YIL) have launched five brownfield expansion projects in West Bengal aimed at significantly strengthening the state’s shipbuilding and defence manufacturing capabilities. The foundation stones for the projects were laid by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh in the presence of West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari at GRSE Bhavan, Kolkata, on August 23, 2026.
Three of the projects are being undertaken by GRSE and are focused on expanding shipbuilding capacity and modernising infrastructure to meet the growing requirements of India’s maritime and defence sectors. The initiatives are also aligned with the government’s Aatmanirbhar Bharat and Make in India programmes.
As part of the expansion, GRSE has entered into lease agreements with Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port, Kolkata, for two small shipyards on either side of the Hooghly, along with a 32-acre riverside property at Raichak. These facilities will support warship construction and refit activities, besides the construction and repair of small and medium-sized commercial vessels.
The Raichak facility, which has a 356-metre waterfront, a 96-metre jetty and an 8–10 metre draught, will be developed as a major shipbuilding hub with an investment of over Rs 2,500 crore. The facility will include a 200-metre dry dock, slipway, launching pad, jetties and block fabrication infrastructure, enabling GRSE to build warships of up to 200 metres and commercial vessels of up to 60,000 DWT.
At Shalimar, GRSE will invest nearly Rs 100 crore to revive the 4-acre Timber Pond facility for medium-sized shipbuilding and repair activities. The project includes restoration of the 130-metre dry dock and construction of a 120-metre slipway.
The Damodar facility at Kidderpore Docks, comprising an old workshop and a 25-metre waterfront, will receive an investment of around Rs 70 crore. It will be developed for medium-sized vessel repairs and construction of electric ferries and other small vessels.
YIL’s Metal and Steel Factory at Ishapore will see two new facilities with a combined investment of over Rs 750 crore, aimed at strengthening domestic metallurgical and defence manufacturing capabilities.
A Rs 277.59-crore 3,000-ton Heavy Duty Hydraulic Open Die Forging Press will replace the existing 2,650-ton press and manufacture gun barrels, ammunition components and other heavy defence forgings. Another facility, the Rs 473.84-crore Radial Forging Plant, will produce super alloy forgings, aerial bomb tubes, ordnance hardware, railway axles and components for nuclear reactors.
The new facilities will incorporate Industry 4.0 and energy-efficient technologies, helping boost high-end domestic manufacturing, lower dependence on imports and cater to requirements across the defence, railway and strategic sectors.
Together, the projects are expected to enhance the manufacturing capabilities of GRSE and YIL while contributing to the revival of West Bengal’s industrial ecosystem through employment generation and greater business opportunities for ancillary industries, particularly MSMEs.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh welcomed the expansion of industrial capabilities in West Bengal and expressed confidence that GRSE would continue to strengthen India’s self-reliance in shipbuilding and defence manufacturing. He highlighted GRSE’s experience in building naval and commercial platforms, noting that the shipyard has delivered more than 800 platforms.
Singh also pointed to GRSE’s construction of cargo ships for a German company as an example of India’s growing ability to build for international markets, in line with the vision of “Make in India, Make for the World”. He also expressed confidence that YIL’s new facilities would further bolster the country’s defence manufacturing ecosystem.
West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari assured continued cooperation with GRSE and said the state would work towards strengthening its industrial development as India moves towards becoming a developed nation by 2047.