Cochin to build new dry dock

India’s biggest shipbuilder under state control, Cochin Shipyard Ltd, is talking to potential partners in the defence sector to jointly build a new dry dock at the yard to boost capacity.

The Kerala-based firm said it is talking to potential partners in the defence sector to jointly build the new dry dock and plans to use the dry dock for six months of the year while the partner will use it for the remaining six months. Cochin and the potential partner will share the cost of building the new dry dock in equal proportion.

Cochin Shipyard has an order book for 20 ships estimated to cost Rs5,000 crore. More than half the value is made up by the Indian Navy?s order for an air defence ship, India?s first indigenous aircraft carrier.

The order book also includes two AHTSVs and two PSVs ordered by state-run Shipping Corp. of India Ltd. The SCI contract has an option for building two more AHTSVs.