Cochin Shipyard Ltd is set to launch India’s first high-capacity dredger developed under the ‘Make in India’ initiative on 18 October. The vessel, named DCI Dredge Godavari, has been built for Dredging Corporation of India Ltd (DCI) with technical and design support from Dutch dredger specialist IHC Holland B.V.
The launch marks a crucial phase in ship construction, as it will be the first time the vessel enters water. This stage is vital for testing the dredger’s stability, buoyancy, and the performance of its technical systems in a marine environment. Officials indicated that the vessel may take another six months before it is fully delivered.
The trailing suction hopper dredger (TSHD) has a hopper capacity of 12,000 cubic metres and was ordered by Mumbai-listed DCI at a cost exceeding Rs 800 crore. TSHDs are specialised vessels used to maintain port channels. The dredger’s keel was laid in September 2024, marking the start of construction, which experienced minor delays due to technical issues with imported steel.
Built at Cochin Shipyard’s new dry dock under the internationally recognised ‘Beagle’ platform of IHC Holland, the dredger has been customised to meet Indian operational needs. This is the first high-capacity dredger built by the Mumbai-listed shipyard following a memorandum of understanding signed with IHC Holland in November 2020 to collaborate on complex dredger projects.
This launch underscores India’s growing capabilities in indigenous shipbuilding and high-tech maritime infrastructure under the Make in India programme.
