Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE) Ltd., a Navratna Defence Public Sector Undertaking under the Ministry of Defence, Government of India, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Netherlands-based Damen Technical Cooperation B.V. to explore the design and construction of advanced dredgers in India.
The MoU was signed on September 2 during the SMM Hamburg Maritime Trade Fair in Germany, establishing a framework for technical and business cooperation between the two companies.
The partnership will combine GRSE’s shipbuilding capabilities with Damen’s global expertise in specialised dredgers, including Trailing Suction Hopper Dredgers (TSHD) and Water Injection Dredgers (WID).
Key areas of cooperation will include advanced dredger design and technology, technical know-how transfer, joint design and construction proposals, development of indigenous dredger-building capabilities, and long-term cooperation to meet India’s future dredging requirements.
The agreement builds on the existing collaboration between GRSE and Damen, including the construction of a 1,000 m³ dredger for the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA).
The latest MoU is expected to strengthen GRSE’s capabilities in the specialised dredger segment while supporting the development of indigenous technology and enhancing India’s capacity to meet the growing demand for modern dredging solutions.