THEBUSINESSBYES BUREAU

MUMBAI, SEPTEMBER 15, 2026

Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Ltd (MDL), the defence public sector undertaking, will invest around ₹27,000 crore to establish a greenfield shipbuilding cluster at Dighi Port in Maharashtra’s Raigad district, in a major push to expand India’s maritime manufacturing capabilities and create an estimated 90,000 jobs.

MDL on Tuesday signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with National Shipbuilding and Heavy Industries Park Maharashtra Ltd (NSHIPML) for the mega project in the presence of Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, according to a state government release.

Under the agreement, MDL has set a target of developing an annual shipbuilding capacity of at least 2 million gross tonnes at Dighi. The proposed facility is expected to enable the construction of large commercial vessels while strengthening India’s maritime industrial base and reducing dependence on overseas shipbuilding capacity.

The greenfield shipbuilding cluster is being developed jointly by the Maharashtra Maritime Board and Mumbai Port Authority through NSHIPML, a special-purpose company established specifically for the project.

The Dighi initiative is being pursued under the Centre’s Greenfield Shipbuilding Cluster Development Plan and is expected to complement the objectives of Maritime Amrit Kaal Vision 2047, the government’s long-term roadmap for transforming India into a competitive global maritime power.

The project envisages the creation of modern shipbuilding infrastructure alongside an integrated industrial and supply-chain ecosystem, potentially bringing together shipbuilders, component manufacturers, technology providers and other maritime businesses.

The proposed investment is also expected to boost India’s domestic shipbuilding capacity, attract technology and private investment, generate skilled employment and enhance the country’s competitiveness in the global maritime sector.

MDL Chairman and Managing Director Captain Jagmohan said the company would work with all stakeholders to create a modern and globally competitive shipbuilding facility at Dighi.

Captain Jagmohan signed the MoU with NSHIPML Managing Director Pradeep P, marking a significant step towards the development of one of Maharashtra’s most ambitious maritime infrastructure projects.

The Dighi cluster, with its planned scale of investment and capacity, could emerge as a key pillar of India’s strategy to build a stronger domestic shipbuilding ecosystem while positioning the country to capture a larger share of the global commercial maritime market.