Shipbuilding’s New Home: The ₹29,253 Crore Dugarajapatnam Project

The Andhra Pradesh Maritime Board has approved the formation of National Shipbuilding and Heavy Industries Park Andhra Pradesh as a special purpose vehicle (SPV) to spearhead the development of a ₹29,253 crore greenfield port and National Mega Shipbuilding Cluster at Dugarajapatnam in Tirupati district.

The proposed entity will be incorporated under the Companies Act, 2013 as a 50:50 joint venture between the Andhra Pradesh Maritime Board and the Visakhapatnam Port Authority, representing the Government of India. The move marks a significant milestone in advancing one of the country’s most ambitious maritime manufacturing initiatives.

Envisioned as India’s first National Mega Shipbuilding Cluster, the project aligns with the Centre’s Maritime India Vision 2030 and Maritime Amrit Kaal Vision 2047, which aim to substantially enhance domestic shipbuilding capabilities. India is targeting an increase in shipbuilding output from roughly 0.01 million gross tonnage (GT) per annum at present to 4.5 million GT by 2047, with the objective of ranking among the world’s top five shipbuilding nations.

Spread across nearly 2,000 acres, the proposed cluster is designed with an annual production capacity of approximately 1.2 million GT, positioning it as a key driver of India’s long-term maritime industrial growth.

News by Rahul Yelligetti.