Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Ltd (MDL), will invest around Rs 27,000 crore to establish a greenfield shipbuilding cluster at Dighi Port in Maharashtra`s Raigad district, a project expected to generate around 90,000 jobs.
MDL signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with National Shipbuilding and Heavy Industries Park Maharashtra Ltd (NSHIPML) for the project in the presence of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.
Under the agreement, the defence PSU has set a target of achieving an annual shipbuilding capacity of at least 2 million gross tonnes at Dighi. The project will enable the construction of large commercial vessels and is expected to strengthen the country`s maritime industrial capabilities.
The greenfield shipbuilding cluster is being developed jointly by the Maharashtra Maritime Board and the Mumbai Port Authority through NSHIPML, a special-purpose company established for the project.
The venture is being taken forward under the Centre`s Greenfield Shipbuilding Cluster Development Plan and is expected to complement the objectives of the Maritime Amrit Kaal Vision 2047.
The Dighi project will create modern shipbuilding infrastructure along with an industrial and supply chain ecosystem to support the sector. It is expected to boost domestic shipbuilding capacity, attract technology and investment, create skilled employment and enhance India`s competitiveness in the global maritime sector.
