GRSE to invest ₹2,670 crore in West Bengal across three shipbuilding facilities
Synopsis
GRSE is committing ₹2,670 crore to reshape its West Bengal footprint — a new greenfield shipyard at Raichak plus upgrades at Kolkata and Shalimar. With 80% indigenisation already achieved and 22 warships delivered since 2019, this expansion could push India's largest public-sector shipbuilder to a 32-platform simultaneous build capacity, a significant leap for naval self-reliance.
Key Takeaways
GRSE will invest ₹2,670 crore across three shipbuilding facilities in West Bengal .
A new greenfield shipyard at Raichak, South 24 Parganas will build large vessels.
Existing facilities at Kolkata and Shalimar, Howrah will be upgraded for medium, small ships, boats, and ferries.
Simultaneous shipbuilding capacity will rise from 28 to 32 platforms once operational.
GRSE has achieved up to 80% indigenisation in its last three projects and delivered 22 warships since 2019 .
India has built around 270 warships in total, with GRSE contributing nearly 40% of them.
Public sector shipbuilder Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) Limited will invest more than ₹2,670 crore in West Bengal to develop and upgrade three shipbuilding facilities, Chairman and Managing Director Commodore P.R. Hari (Retd.) announced on Sunday, 23 August. The investment forms the centrepiece of GRSE's ongoing expansion programme and signals a major scaling-up of India's public-sector shipbuilding capacity.
Three Facilities, Distinct Roles
The investment plan covers a new standalone shipyard at Raichak in South 24 Parganas district, earmarked for the construction of large vessels. The two existing facilities — one in Kolkata and the other at Shalimar in Howrah — will also receive infrastructure upgrades. The Kolkata unit will focus on medium- and small-sized ships, while the Shalimar facility will specialise in boats, ferries, and S-type vessels.
Once all three facilities are fully operational, GRSE's simultaneous shipbuilding capacity will rise from the current 28 platforms to 32 platforms, strengthening the company's ability to run multiple programmes in parallel.
India's Warship Self-Reliance Drive
Commodore Hari underscored India's growing self-sufficiency in warship construction. The country has built approximately 270 warships to date, with GRSE alone accounting for nearly 40 per cent of that total. The company has achieved up to 80 per cent indigenisation in its last three projects and is actively working to develop the remaining critical components domestically.
Hari also pointed to a marked improvement in project turnaround times. Shipbuilding assignments that once stretched between five and ten years are now being executed significantly faster. 'The last two projects we delivered were completed ahead of schedule,' he said.
Operational Track Record Since 2019
Since 2019, GRSE has launched 24 warships and delivered 22 of them — a pace that reflects the company's enhanced design and execution capabilities. Hari attributed part of this efficiency to GRSE's mature in-house design competency, which allows the company to incorporate new technologies and upgrade vessels before final delivery.
Hari described GRSE as the largest heavy engineering unit in West Bengal and acknowledged the role of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh in supporting the company's growth. 'Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has always stood by us and we are grateful to him,' he said.
What This Means for India's Defence Shipbuilding
The ₹2,670 crore outlay arrives at a time when India is aggressively pursuing naval modernisation and export ambitions in the defence manufacturing sector. GRSE's expansion is consistent with the Centre's broader push to raise indigenisation levels across defence platforms. This comes amid growing demand for domestically built vessels from the Indian Navy and Coast Guard, and a nascent push to position Indian shipyards as competitive players in the global market.
With the Raichak greenfield shipyard still in development, the full capacity addition is expected to materialise over the coming years, making execution timelines the key variable to watch.
Point of View
670 crore bet is notable not just for its scale but for its timing — it arrives as India tries to convert naval indigenisation rhetoric into verifiable industrial capacity. The 80% indigenisation figure in recent projects is credible progress, but the remaining 20% covers the most technically demanding components, and closing that gap domestically is where past public-sector programmes have stalled. The Raichak greenfield shipyard is the real test: greenfield defence infrastructure in India has a mixed track record on timelines and cost discipline. If GRSE can deliver Raichak on schedule, it would meaningfully shift the calculus for India's naval export ambitions — a market the company has barely tapped.
NationPress
24 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is GRSE's ₹2,670 crore investment plan in West Bengal?
GRSE plans to invest ₹2,670 crore across three shipbuilding facilities in West Bengal — a new greenfield shipyard at Raichak in South 24 Parganas for large vessels, and infrastructure upgrades at its existing Kolkata and Shalimar units for smaller ships, boats, and ferries.
Where is the new GRSE shipyard being built?
The new standalone shipyard will come up at Raichak in South 24 Parganas district, West Bengal. It is designed for the construction of large vessels and is part of GRSE's broader capacity expansion drive.
How will the expansion affect GRSE's shipbuilding capacity?
Once the three upgraded and new facilities are operational, GRSE's simultaneous shipbuilding capacity will increase from 28 platforms to 32 platforms, enabling the company to handle more naval programmes at the same time.
What is GRSE's indigenisation level in recent shipbuilding projects?
GRSE has achieved up to 80% indigenisation in its last three projects. The company is working to develop the remaining critical components domestically to push that figure higher.
How many warships has GRSE delivered since 2019?
Since 2019, GRSE has launched 24 warships and delivered 22 of them. The company accounts for nearly 40% of the approximately 270 warships India has built in total.
