New Delhi: Hindustan Shipyard Limited (HSL) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Kakinada Seaports Limited (KSPL) to collaborate on shipbuilding operations and develop shipbuilding capabilities at the port’s facility in Kakinada, Andhra Pradesh, HSL said in a statement.
HSL is an Indian defence public sector undertaking under the Ministry of Defence and has been granted Miniratna Category-I status.
The MoU was signed at INMARCO 2026, a maritime conference in Mumbai, by the chairman and managing director of HSL, Rear Admiral C Raghuram, and the chairman and managing director of KSPL, KV Rao.
According to HSL, the agreement provides for the use and augmentation of KSPL’s existing infrastructure, including slipways and jetty facilities, for shipbuilding by HSL. It also provides for collaborative models to identify and execute major shipbuilding projects, drawing on the strengths of both partners.
Why HSL says it matters
HSL said India’s shipbuilding ambitions could not be met by any single shipyard, port or agency acting alone. It said shipyards, ports, regulators, designers, suppliers, financiers and local communities would all need to work together. The company said the MoU was part of its plan to partner with others and turn existing maritime infrastructure into shipbuilding capacity.
The agreement follows a theme Raghuram raised at INMARCO, where he proposed a “digital birth certificate” for every Indian-built ship and called for series orders to help Indian yards compete with those in East Asia. HSL is a government-owned shipbuilder based in Visakhapatnam.