Orissa to have mega shipbuilding factory

Orissa, in the North East of India, is all set to have a shipbuilding factory at Charidiha near Dhamra mouth in Bhadrak district of the State. It will be the first such private sector venture in eastern India. The Apeejay Surrendra Group and Bharati Shipyard Limited would set up the ultra-modern ship-manufacturing factory jointly with an investment of $560 million.

The shipyard will have both ship-manufacturing as well as repairing facilities. The project would create job opportunity for 41000 people directly and indirectly. A formal memorandum of understanding (MoU) for the setting up of the ship-making unit will be signed between the companies and Orissa government in November this year.

Work on the project will commence in middle of 2008 and the construction work will be implemented in three phases to be completed by the end of 2013. The growth taking place in the steel sector in Orissa would be of great help for the shipbuilding yard. In the first phase, 75,000 tonnes of steel will be used for establishing the shipyard. In the second phase, the project will require 230,000 tonnes of steel and 450,000 tonnes in the third phase.