A view of Juvvaladinne fishing harbour. File photo.
| Photo Credit: K. RAVIKUMAR
The State government of Andhra Pradesh allotted nearly 30 acre of land to Sagar Defence Engineering Pvt. Ltd. (SDEPL) for the establishment of an Autonomous Maritime Shipyard and Systems Centre at Juvvaladinne fishing harbour in Nellore district with a total investment of ₹45 crore and potential to generate employment for 750 people.
As per G.O Rt.No .97 issued by Special Chief Secretary (Infrastructure & Investments) M.T. Krishna Babu last week, October 2026 has been set as the date of trial production, and November 26, the date of commencement of commercial production.
An official release from the government said the SDEPL project was a major milestone in India’s maritime and defence manufacturing ecosystem, wherein the company builds unmanned and autonomous surface and underwater vessels along with intelligent maritime systems, sensors and command and control technologies.
It was stated that such shipyards play a critical role in modern maritime operations, enabling enhanced coastal surveillance, maritime domain awareness, offshore security and defence preparedness with minimal human intervention.
Construction of the shipyard is scheduled to commence this month (December 2025) with machinery installation to be completed by June 2026.
SDEPL has built strong credentials within India’s defence and strategic ecosystem and is recognised for its emphasis on indigenous design, advanced systems integration and next – generation maritime solutions, aligned with national priorities such as Atmanirbhar Bharat and defence indigenisation.
Published – December 15, 2025 02:32 pm IST
