Introduction
India is fast becoming a significant maritime nation. Sitting at a prime location between the Middle East and Southeast Asia, the world’s largest democracy has found a vital strategic advantage in a strong naval presence.
With 7,516 kilometers of coastline and navigable waterways connecting inland ports, shipbuilding is an increasingly important activity in the nation’s defense and economic priorities.
Shipyards that design and construct naval warships, ocean-going vessels, offshore platforms, as well as provide repair and maintenance services have a key role to play. The Indian Navy needs shipyards to enhance its combat capabilities and overall preparedness. Private and government-run shipyards provide the nation the self-reliance it seeks for building, repairing and maintaining ships and support vessels.
For India, the shipbuilding industry is a priority area given the growing defense spend, buoyant international trade and its own coastal and offshore energy activities. The marine engineering sector also needs various support services such as ship repair and retrofitting, compliance for global trade, engineering consultancy and more.
If you are an engineering graduate looking for career opportunities in the defense sector, an entrepreneur looking to venture into the marine trade, or an investor scanning for business and M&A opportunities, here’s a look at the largest and most active shipyards in India in 2025.
Why Shipyards are Important for India’s Maritime Aspirations
British colonists established the first modern dockyards in Bombay and Calcutta in India. Today, India’s shipbuilding capacity is the largest in the public sector with four principal yards, with a handful of private sector shipyards also coming into the picture.
Key players in this space include government-owned facilities like Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited, Cochin Shipyard Limited, Hindustan Shipyard Limited, Goa Shipyard Limited, and Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers. These shipyards are primarily focused on defense and specialized commercial applications.
Shipyards are significant for India in the following aspects:
- National Security: These facilities build ships for defense and law enforcement agencies like the Navy, Coast Guard, and customs.
- International Trade: Export-import trade growth, inland waterways are dependent on large cargo ships, container vessels and oil tankers.
- Energy Infrastructure: Shipyards also provide new build and maintenance services for vessels that support offshore oil and gas rigs and renewable energy structures.
India’s naval expansion also has far-reaching socio-economic benefits for its coastal and riverine communities.
Modern shipbuilding trends such as technology-assisted modular construction of ships, use of robotics and automation in ship repair, ship scrapping and ship dismantling; use of artificial intelligence (AI) in logistics and support services; and building eco-friendly ships powered by LNG, hydrogen or electricity will open more doors for startups and engineering companies in India.
List of Top 10 Largest Shipyards in India
METS – Marine Engineering & Trade Services (Operating Pan India)
- Ownership: Private
- Year Established: 1989
- Area Covered: N/A (Strategic Partnerships with Major Dockyards all Over India)
- Specialization: Marine Engineering Solutions, Ship Repair, Hull Services, Engineering Service and more.
- Focus: Commercial, Support and Naval Auxiliary Vessels
- Noteworthy: METS, a specialist in marine engineering solutions and trade services, has been a turnkey engineering partner to major shipyards in the country. METS provides support for shipbuilding and maintenance activities along both eastern and western seaboards in the areas of propulsion and power systems and has made a name in the niche field of advanced retrofitting solutions.
As shipbuilding activity picks up in India, this company shows that private players can also play a key role by offering marine engineering services and technology-enabled solutions. METS also sets itself apart through its end-to-end integration of trade services and sourcing of compliant components for ships.
Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (Mumbai, Maharashtra)
- Ownership: Public Sector (Ministry of Defence)
- Established: 1934
- Area: 75 acres
- Focus: Mainly on defense; destroyers, frigates and submarines
- Key Projects: Kalvari-class (Scorpène) submarines, Project 15B destroyers
- Noteworthy: One of India’s most well-known and sophisticated warship builders, with a focus on international collaboration
Cochin Shipyard Limited (Kochi, Kerala)
- Ownership: Public Sector
- Established: 1972
- Area: 170 acres
- Focus: Commercial and defense
- Key Projects: Indigenous Aircraft Carrier INS Vikrant, Passenger Vessels, Offshore Support Vessels
- Noteworthy: Hosts India’s largest ship repair dry dock
Hindustan Shipyard Limited (Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh)
- Ownership: Public Sector (Ministry of Defence)
- Established: 1941
- Area: 117 acres
- Focus: Naval support vessels, ship repairs and submarines
- Key Projects: Repair of Kilo-class submarines
Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (Kolkata, West Bengal)
- Ownership: Public Sector
- Established: 1884
- Focus: Defense
- Key Projects: Anti-submarine warfare corvettes, Landing craft utility vessels
- Noteworthy: Supplies warships to the Indian Navy and friendly foreign countries.
Goa Shipyard Limited (Goa)
- Ownership: Public Sector
- Established: 1957
- Focus: Defense and commercial vessels
- Key Projects: Offshore patrol vessels (OPVs), Fast patrol vessels (FPVs)
L&T Shipbuilding (Kattupalli, Tamil Nadu)
- Ownership: Private
- Established: 2009
- Focus: Defense, Offshore platforms and specialized vessels
- Key Projects: Interceptor boats, Submarine components
- Noteworthy: Advanced modular construction techniques and automation
ABG Shipyard (Gujarat)
- Ownership: Private
- Established: 1985
- Focus: Commercial vessels
- Key Projects: Bulk carriers, Container ships
- Status: Financial restructuring underway, previously India’s largest private shipbuilder.
Bharati Shipyard (Mumbai and Ratnagiri)
- Ownership: Private
- Established: 1973
- Focus: Coastal cargo ships, Support vessels
- Key Projects: Tugs, Barges, Offshore Vessels
Reliance Naval & Engineering Ltd (Pipavav, Gujarat)
- Ownership: Private
- Established: 1997
- Focus: Naval and commercial vessels
- Key Features: One of the world’s largest dry docks
- Status: Undergoing insolvency process.
Shoft Shipyard (Gujarat)
- Ownership: Private
- Established: 1983
- Focus: Inland and coastal vessels
- Key Projects: Dredgers, Tankers, Patrol boats
Trends Impacting the Shipyard Business in India
- Growing Defense Budget: The government’s rising investment in naval vessels and offshore platforms will force Indian defense shipyards to bring in more modernization in their operations.
- Make in India: Policy support and incentives have already triggered an interest in local shipbuilding and component manufacturing.
- Environment & Sustainability: Green shipbuilding is being adopted in the country, such as LNG-powered and electric propulsion systems and environmentally compliant ships.
- Tech Enablement: AI, robotics, automation and 3D design modeling are some of the tech tools being adopted by shipyards to improve productivity and ship design.
- Offshore Renewables: Shipyards and associated engineering services are now also involved in construction of specialized vessels to support offshore wind energy and other renewables.
Business Opportunities in Marine Engineering & Trade Services
The shipbuilding or shipyard business is about much more than giant vessels moving on water. It is also about an entire engineering and supply chain ecosystem of companies that make shipbuilding, maintenance and marine trade possible. METS – Marine Engineering & Trade Services is one such company that fills several gaps in the services the sector needs.
- Ship Repair, Maintenance and Retrofitting: An increasing number of ships means higher requirements for their timely maintenance and refits. METS is in the business of providing mobile and dockside retrofitting and refitting solutions.
- Supply & Procurement of Components: METS partners with international manufacturers to offer its clients compliant and high-performance ship components that also pass Indian port authority inspections.
- Consultancy & Training: Skill-based technical training as well as consultancy services in marine engineering design and global regulatory compliance are another area that METS caters to.
Potential Businesses in the Space:
- Set up a component manufacturing unit for marine-grade equipment
- Start a marine engineers training center
- Run a marine supply chain business for spares and safety equipment
- Offer documentation and compliance services for global maritime trade
Challenges Faced by Shipyards in India
- Capital Intensive Business: Shipbuilding and ship repairs require huge capital investment and long gestation periods.
- Competition from Abroad: Indian shipyards face competition from other Asian nations such as China, South Korea and Japan which offer low-cost and quick solutions to buyers.
- Skill Shortages: There is a lack of skilled personnel and marine engineers and engineers in India
- Slow Pace of Upgradation: In government shipyards, modernization of manufacturing processes and adoption of technologies and quality management practices are still a work in progress
Will India Be Able to Compete Globally?
India is beginning to establish a strong reputation as a reliable shipbuilding nation on a global scale. Defense procurement contracts, maritime collaborations with Southeast Asian countries, and a push for private sector players all point to robust growth in the years ahead.
Shipbuilding startups and niche engineering service providers like METS will have a key role to play. Through innovative, agile and scalable services and technology-enabled tools, such companies can bridge the gap between the traditional ship manufacturing industry and the opportunities that exist for specialist marine engineering companies.
Also Read: – Top Ship repairing companies in india
Conclusion
India’s shipbuilding industry has matured. It now has many big names like Mazagon Dock, Cochin Shipyard and strong engineering partners METS – Marine Engineering & Trade Services to thank for its position.
If you are looking to partner with these entities, or are seeking investments, or even a job, the time is now to explore India’s thriving maritime sector.
FAQs
Which is the largest shipyard in India?
Cochin Shipyard Limited is the largest public-sector shipyard in India. Reliance Naval has one of the world’s largest dry docks in India.
How many shipyards are there in India?
India has more than 25 shipyards including public sector and private sector ones.
What is the difference between a dry dock and shipyard?
A shipyard is the facility in which ships are constructed and repaired, while a dry dock is a special platform for a ship to be repaired below the waterline after water has been drained out.
Which Indian shipyard builds submarines?
Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited is a public sector shipyard that builds submarines like Scorpène-class submarines.What
business opportunities are there for marine engineering in India?
Opportunities in marine engineering in India include ship retrofitting and refitting services, engineering consultancy, supply and procurement of ship components, training academies, and maritime compliance and documentation services.