Indian Shipbuilder SDHI Moves Ahead With $480M Infrastructure Investment

 

SDHI, the inheritor of the Pipavav Shipyard site, has secured an investment of about $480 million for infrastructure and training from the Gujarat Maritime Board. The funding will pay for improvements to the yard's jetties, cranes, fabrication facilities and dredged berths. 

The agreement will also underwrite construction of a "center of excellence" training institute to prepare 1,000 young apprentices per year on shipyard skills - a scale nearly unheard-of in the West. 

"By investing in infrastructure, capacity, and skill development we will add world-class capabilities that accelerate India’s shipbuilding ecosystem. SDHI is laying the foundation for a new era of growth and cementing our nation’s place on the global maritime map for decades to come," said SDHI CEO Rear Admiral Vipin Kumar Saxena (retd.) last week. 

Separately, SDHI also announced an agreement with Royal IHC for the design, construction, and retrofitting of offshore oil and gas vessels. The deal solidifies SDHI's plans to explore a mix of commercial and defense contracting. 

“We are delighted to partner with Royal IHC at a time when the industry is witnessing a growing demand for offshore vessels capable of serving both oil & gas and renewable energy markets. This collaboration positions us to address these emerging opportunities with world-class capabilities and competitive solutions," SDHI director Vivek Merchant said in a statement. 

The SDHI yard has the largest dry dock in India, measuring 662 meters by 65 meters, along with a working space of about 500 acres. This is ideal for building aircraft carriers or VLCCs, or for high-volume work on smaller vessel classes. 

SDHI also has a cooperation agreement with state-run Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineering Ltd (GRSE), a leading defense yard in India. GRSE has enough orders that it anticipates building an expansion site within 3-5 years, and industry analysts suggest that the MoU could give it the ability to access SDHI's extra capacity as well. 

The international partnership with Royal IHC is the latest in a growing number of deals between Indian shipyards and foreign firms. In July, HD Hyundai announced a partnership agreement with state-owned Cochin Shipyard to share design work, technology and equipment supply chains. The agreement also covers workforce training and marketing, combining HD Hyundai's brand recognition and sales relationships with Cochin's capacity for expansion.