Gujarat Mulls New Shipbuilding Clusters in Kutch, Porbandar

Gandhinagar: The Gujarat government is preparing to unveil a new shipbuilding and repair policy after the conclusion of local body elections, with plans to develop two new shipbuilding clusters in Chhachhi (Kutch) and Kuchhadi (Porbandar district). The state aims to scale up its shipbuilding capacity to 3 million gross tonnage (GT) by 2047, a TOI report said.

According to the report, authorities have identified the two locations and are also evaluating three additional sites for greenfield shipyards. The proposed Chhachhi cluster will span around 990 hectares with a 6.75-km waterfront, while the Kuchhadi cluster is planned over 870 hectares with a 7-km waterfront.

It is learnt that the government remains optimistic about attracting private investment, citing capacity constraints in major global shipbuilding hubs such as China, Japan and South Korea.

A Gujarat Maritime Board official added that, unlike the 2010 policy which lacked financial incentives, the upcoming framework is expected to include a range of fiscal benefits and a plug-and-play model, although details on common infrastructure development are yet to be finalised. DeshGujarat