Ahmedabad

The Gujarat government on Monday launched its shipbuilding policy aimed at developing the state into India's leading maritime manufacturing hub through fiscal incentives, infrastructure development and skill creation, an official said.

Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel launched the Gujarat Shipbuilding and Repair Policy 2026, which envisages setting up two Integrated Mega Shipbuilding Parks, increasing the state's shipbuilding capacity to more than 50 lakh Deadweight Tonnage (DWT) and attracting investments worth over Rs 27,000 crore, a government release stated.

DWT is the maximum weight a ship can carry safely.

The policy also aims to provide skill development and capacity-building training to over five lakh people.

Speaking at the launch, Patel said, "This policy will create a globally competitive shipbuilding ecosystem in Gujarat and strengthen the state's role in achieving the vision of Viksit Gujarat 2047 and Aatmanirbhar Bharat."

According to the state government, the policy aligns with the Centre's Shipbuilding Financial Assistance Scheme 2025 and Maritime Vision 2047.

The policy seeks to develop a future-ready shipbuilding ecosystem by promoting marine equipment manufacturing, research and development, startups, ancillary industries and capacity building.

It is also aimed at promoting sustainable and green shipyards, developing smart shipyards, and encouraging startups and research and development in the shipbuilding sector.

Under the policy, two integrated mega shipbuilding parks will be developed with modern shipyard infrastructure, along with marine equipment manufacturing clusters, testing facilities, logistics support, research and development centres and skill development institutions.

The Centre has approved a mega greenfield shipbuilding cluster at Kuchhadi in Porbandar district. The Gujarat Maritime Board is preparing the detailed project report (DPR) for the project, which will pave the way for its implementation, the release said.

The cluster will accommodate two to three world-class shipyards along with a network of ancillary industries, and the project is expected to attract private investment of around Rs 23,700 crore.

To support the ecosystem, common marine and land-based infrastructure worth around Rs 3,300 crore will be developed with financial assistance from the Centre under the Shipbuilding Development Scheme (SbDS) and the Gujarat government, taking the total expected investment in the project to over Rs 27,000 crore.

According to the release, the common infrastructure will include breakwaters, floating cranes, heavy-lift ships, dredging facilities, harbour basin development, navigation channels, roads, electricity, water supply and other shared utility infrastructure.

The government stated that the integrated infrastructure would substantially reduce project costs for investors, speed up implementation and improve Gujarat's competitiveness as a global shipbuilding and maritime manufacturing hub.

It also provides a wide range of fiscal and non-fiscal incentives to attract investment, including capital assistance, reimbursement of stamp duty, interest subvention, dredging assistance, subsidies for procurement from MSMEs, electricity tariff support and subsidies on water charges.

The policy also offers special incentives for marine equipment manufacturing clusters and additional benefits for early-bird investors commencing development within the prescribed timeline.

It provides a single-window clearance mechanism and a dedicated grievance redressal system to ensure time-bound approvals and faster implementation of projects.

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The Gujarat Maritime Board has prepared detailed implementation guidelines to simplify application procedures for developers and investors and accelerate execution of projects, the release said.