Ships have been serving as a means of transportation for centuries now. Ships were/are used for the transport of goods, travel and warfare. Now, in the modern times, ships serve modern functions such as transporting aircrafts, war equipment and leisure travel (cruises).
A dockyard is a place where ships are constructed and serviced. There are over 700 such dockyards, also referred to as shipyards, in our country. In this article, we will learn about some important dockyards in India and their functions. In comparison to shipyards, dockyards may be primarily used for repairing ships.
This topic is important for your preparation of the General Awareness section assessed in several exams like FCI AGM, NABARD Grade A, NABARD Grade B, IBPS RRB PO, RBI Grade and RRB NTPC among others.
History of Dockyards in India
The site of Lothal, (in present day Gujarat) is said to be the first dockyard in India. While this fact is debated by historians and archaeologists, by extension, it would also imply that Lothal Dockyard was the first dockyard to have ever been constructed. Other than Lothal, the Bombay (now Naval) Dockyard is one of India’s oldest dockyards. It is also a dry dock, used for the repair and maintenance of ships and boats.
The British East India Company established their first shipyard in Bombay in 1735.
Functions of Dockyards
- As aforementioned, ships are built and repaired in dockyards.
- Military vessels, cruise-liners and cargo vessels are also built-in shipyards.
- The process of ship-building itself involves designing, planning, procurement of raw materials, engineering and production and quality and safety standard assessments.
Top 10 Important Dockyards in India
| Name | City | State | Coast | |
| 1 | Cochin Shipyard Limited | Cochin/Kochi | Kerala | West |
| 2 | Mazgaon Dock Limited | Mumbai | Maharashtra | West |
| 3 | Hindustan Shipyard Limited | Visakhapatnam | Andhra Pradesh | East |
| 4 | Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers, | Kolkata | West Bengal | East |
| 5 | Goa Shipyard Limited | Goa | Goa | West |
| 6 | Naval Dockyard | Mumbai | Maharashtra | West |
| 7 | Naval Dockyard | Visakhapatnam | Andhra Pradesh | East |
| 8 | L&T Shipbuilding Limited, | Hazira | Gujarat | West |
| 9 | ABG Shipyard Limited | Mumbai | Maharashtra | West |
| 10 | Reliance Naval and Engineering Limited (R-Naval) or Pipavav Shipyard | Pipavav | Gujarat | West |
Dockyard Trivia
- Cochin Shipyard is the biggest shipyard in India.
- In terms of revenue, the largest revenue generated is ₹1,658.79 crores by Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers.
- INS Vikrant, India’s first indigenous Aircraft Carrier, is being built at Kochi by Cochin Shipyard and is expected to be inducted into the Indian Navy in 2022.
- The Hyundai Heavy Industries in Ulsan, South Korea is the largest dockyard in the world.
- The Titanic was built in Belfast, Ireland by Harland & Wolff. Unfortunately, it sank in its maiden voyage after colliding with an iceberg.
- The dominant site at Lothal, (in present-day Gujarat) was identified as being a massive dockyard. Archaeologists believe it is the oldest dockyard in the world.
- The Seawise Giant is the biggest ship ever made in history. It was built by Sumitomo Heavy Industries in Japan.
- INS Vikramaditya is India’s largest aircraft carrier and warship.
- The Indian Navy is in the process of building a state-of-the-art aircraft carrier. Presently, INS Vikramditya is the only aircraft carrier in the Indian Navy.
- INS Viraat, another aircraft carrier was purchased from the UK and commissioned in 1987 and decommissioned in 2013. It had earlier served in the Royal Navy as HMS Hercules and participated in the Falklands War.
Privatization of Cochin Dockyard
There has been talk of privatizing the Cochin Dockyard for a few years now. However, no concrete progress has been made on the issue and neither is it likely to be made. The Government of India plans to make it India’s biggest dry dock to give impetus to the ‘Make in India’ project.
Food for Thought
Have ships become obsolete with new technology and faster transport facilities?
If you are interested in ships or the ship-building industry, you will find this report on the Statistics of India’s Ship Building and Ship Repairing Industry quite interesting. Such reports are published by the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways every year.
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Also read
Evolution of the Panchayati Raj System in India
National Food Security Act 2013