Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh with West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari and others during the virtual foundation stone laying ceremony for five expansion projects of the Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers, and Yantra India Ltd., in Kolkata, on August 2026.
| Photo Credit: PTI
A vacuum created by the declining capacities of traditional shipbuilding industries across the world presents a major opportunity for India to emerge as a global shipbuilding hub, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on Sunday (August 23, 2026).
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Mr. Singh was addressing a gathering in Kolkata after virtually presiding over the Bhumi Pujan ceremony for three expansion projects of the Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE) and two projects of Yantra India Limited (YIL), involving a combined investment of around ₹3,500 crore.
The projects at GRSE’s facilities in Kidderpore, Shalimar and Raichak are aimed at expanding India’s shipbuilding and ship repair capabilities, while the two projects at YIL’s Metal and Steel Factory, Ishapore, will strengthen indigenous metallurgical and precision manufacturing capabilities.
Mr. Singh said the projects reflected the government’s vision of “aatmanirbharta (self-reliance)”, “Make in India” and “Make for the World”. Referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Independence Day address, he said the defence sector must become fully self-reliant to ensure strategic autonomy.
“Self-reliance is not merely a policy; it is a force multiplier for battlefield capability,” he said, adding that Operation Sindoor had demonstrated the importance of indigenous weapons and platforms.
The Defence Minister also emphasised the importance of quality assurance, timely delivery and high-quality maintenance and refit services to strengthen India’s capabilities and enable the country to emerge as a global shipbuilding hub.
“The country has a large workforce, steel companies and the willpower to adapt to new technologies. India is capable of seizing this opportunity to become a global shipbuilding hub,” he said.
Highlighting the contribution of the GRSE, Mr. Singh said, “The company has delivered more than 100 vessels in recent years and has the potential to play a leading role in India’s future shipbuilding ambitions. GRSE is building a cargo vessel for Germany, underlining the growing global recognition of India’s shipbuilding capabilities.”
‘Renaissance of development’
He also said that the West Bengal government would take steps to usher in a “new renaissance of development”.
“Change in Bengal took place for the development of the State. The news of closures and lockouts of factories in West Bengal has now been replaced by the launch of new projects,” Mr. Singh said.
GRSE, in a statement, said that as part of its capacity expansion, the company signed lease agreements with the Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port, Kolkata (SMPK) for two small shipyards on either bank of the Hooghly, along with a 32-acre riverside property at Raichak, to enhance capabilities in warship construction and refit. The Raichak facility will be developed as a shipbuilding hub with an investment of over ₹2,500 crore, it said.
The two YIL projects, involving an expenditure of more than Rs 750 crore, include a 3,000-tonne hydraulic open-die forging press and a radial forging plant. They are aimed at supporting the production of gun barrels, ammunition components, advanced weapon-system components, railway axles and nuclear-sector components.
Mr. Singh said expanded manufacturing capacity would generate employment, strengthen MSMEs and save foreign exchange. “Our mindset should no longer be about what India needs to buy from the world. Instead, it should focus on what the world wants to buy from India,” he said.
Published – August 23, 2026 02:10 pm IST
