Cochin Shipyard, Drydocks World to build ship repair hubs

Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL) and Drydocks World, a DP World company, have agreed to team up to enhance ship repair and offshore fabrication in India.

This comes after a memorandum of understanding (MoU) that was signed in Mumbai last month during the visit of Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and deputy prime minister and minister of defence of the UAE.

The two organisations plan to incorporate global practices with local expertise to support India’s maritime sector.

A delegation from Drydocks World, led by chief executive officer (CEO) Captain Rado Antolovic, visited CSL’s facilities in Kochi on 1 and 2 May.

The team inspected the main yard, the newly opened 310-metre dry dock, the International Ship Repair Facility (ISRF), and the Marine Engineering Training Institute.

Talks between the two sides were centered on implementing the MoU and identifying areas for cooperation. Joint operations are expected to begin at the ISRF in Kochi, and further expansion is planned across other locations in India.

“We are happy to host the CEO and top leadership of Drydocks World at Cochin Shipyard. Their visit marks an important step in strengthening our collaboration under the MoU signed between us and we look forward to working together to unlock new opportunities in the ship repair domain,” CSL chairman and managing director Madhu S Nair said in a statement.

Captain Antolovic noted, “We are pleased to strengthen our collaboration with Cochin Shipyard Limited to support the growth of India’s maritime industry. By combining our global expertise with CSL’s local strength, we are laying the foundation for a world-class ship repair and offshore fabrication ecosystem in India. This is a long-term commitment to foster innovation, generate skilled employment, and contribute to India’s vision for a self-reliant and globally competitive maritime sector by 2030 and beyond.”