Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE) Ltd. and Hindustan Shipyard Limited (HSL) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on February 09, 2026. The agreement aims to form a consortium to jointly submit a bid for a large-scale, strategically significant national shipbuilding programme tendered by the Shipping Corporation of India Limited (SCI). This strategic collaboration seeks to leverage the complementary strengths of both shipyards to enhance India’s indigenous maritime capability and self-reliance.
Strategic Partnership for National Shipbuilding
Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE) Ltd. announced a major step towards strengthening national shipbuilding capabilities by entering into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Hindustan Shipyard Limited (HSL) on Monday, February 09, 2026. This pact formalizes their intent to operate as a consortium for submitting a bid in response to a tender issued by the Shipping Corporation of India Limited (SCI).
Enhancing Maritime Infrastructure and Self-Reliance
The partnership is fundamentally focused on the construction of advanced maritime platforms. The objective is to contribute significantly to the enhancement of India’s maritime infrastructure, ensuring greater technological self-reliance and improving long-term operational capabilities within the defense and commercial sectors.
The MoU was officially executed by Cdr Shantanu Bose, IN (Retd.), Director (Shipbuilding) of GRSE, and Capt Ganti Venkateswarlu, IN (Retd.), Officiating Chairman & Managing Director of HSL. The signing ceremony was attended by senior officials from both defence shipbuilders.
Leveraging Complementary Strengths
This collaboration is designed to maximize the inherent and complementary strengths of both shipyards. By working together, GRSE and HSL aim to reinforce the national vision of boosting indigenous maritime capability and achieving self-reliance in shipbuilding, aligning with the ‘Atmanirbharta’ initiative.
Background on GRSE’s Credentials
GRSE, a Defence Public Sector Undertaking under the Ministry of Defence, holds the distinction of being the first shipyard in independent India to build a warship for the Indian Navy, the SDB INS Ajay, in 1961. With a history dating back to 1884, GRSE is the only Indian Shipbuilder possessing four distinct shipyards. The company has successfully built and delivered over 800 platforms, including 115 warships for the Indian Navy, Indian Coast Guard, and friendly foreign nations—the highest number delivered by any Indian shipyard to date. GRSE has also diversified into engineering, producing pre-fabricated steel bridges and manufacturing 30mm Naval Surface Guns.
Source: BSE
