The emerging future at Goa Shipyard limited

As India took its first steps as a political entity in 1947, the policymakers recognized that it would be in the country’s best interests to cultivate indigenous warship building as a strategic capability. In 1961, after Goa’s liberation, the potential of a small shipyard called “Estaleiros Navais de Goa” to contribute towards this national aspiration was recognized. The Yard, later renamed Goa Shipyard Limited, was consciously shaped, developed and upgraded to become one of the country’s premier defence shipbuilding hubs on the west coast.

Over the years, Goa Shipyard Ltd. gradually developed to meet the growing shipbuilding needs of the country’s naval defence sector, in the process going on to design and build a wide range of vessels for the defence as well as the commercial sectors.

As one of the few Indian shipyards equipped with an in-house design capability, GSL carries out its own Research and development, in the process developing an in-house product range that efficiently meets the specific requirements of clients in the defence as well as commercial sectors in the fields of design, construction, repair and modernization of vessels. Most new shipbuilding projects at GSL are based on our own in-house design – the result of intensive R&D activity carried out over the years. Currently, the Company is developing a range of Patrol Vessels from 29 m to 110 m

While making consistent progress in its core competency of shipbuilding, the Yard has also proactively moved to exploit market opportunities by successfully diversifying into a related product range. It has designed and constructed Training Simulators for the Indian Navy and Oil & Natural Gas Corporation. A series of Interceptor boats have been built for the Ministry of Home Affairs and are used by the Coastal State Police on the west coast. The Damage Control Simulator built by Goa Shipyard for the Indian Navy, incidentally, is the only one of its kind in Asia and one of the very few existing worldwide. A Survival at Sea Training Facility has been designed and constructed by Goa Shipyard for ONGC to train their personnel in meeting with real-life emergencies that may occur on oil platforms. GSL has executed India’s first Shore Based Training Facility for carrier-borne aircraft in association with the Aeronautical Development Agency of Bengaluru at INS Hansa, Goa. The facility will be used to train pilots for the MiG-29K and the indigenous LCA-Navy.

In keeping pace with today’s dynamic times, Goa Shipyard Ltd. has launched a massive modernization programme aimed at creating new facilities and infrastructure even as existing facilities are augmented, to undertake the anticipated workload of ship construction in the years to come, including a series of construction of high technology ships for the Indian Navy and Coast Guard.

The modernisation plan is a result of a vision of the Ministry of Defence Production and GSL, to have a contemporary Shipyard. The modernization project implemented in four phases, will include a new integrated steel fabrication facility using modular construction techniques and modern workshops. It will have dedicated building berths with a ship lift and transfer system, dry repair berths, enhanced material handling and new crane facilities. There will be new material stores, a GRP complex for the construction of MCMVs, fitting out jetties for ship outfitting, MCMV & repair ships and revamping of electrical and mechanical services and utilities. Rationalisation of resource utilization, the introduction of state-of-the-art multipliers and business methods in all areas of shipbuilding, ship repair and lifetime support are also on the agenda. This remodelling will enable us to meet the qualitative and quantitative objectives of building and delivering quality ships at a competitive cost with shorter construction periods and delivery times as well as increased capacity and product mix.

The blueprint of the new construction facilities is based on a “product centre concept”, where the ship construction process is streamlined through four distinct multi-functional production complexes that are easily manageable through localization of the mix of trade skills and the equipment required to complete the ship production process. This will minimise the movement of the workforce in various locations around the shipyard, and bring improved efficiencies of equipment and tooling, creating a highly efficient working environment, reduction in capital investment and reduction in operating costs by minimizing materials handling time.

Phases 1 and 2 of the Modernisation Project were commissioned on May 21st, 2011. This part of the Modernisation Project has enhanced the Yard’s infrastructure with a system capable of docking 120 M vessels up to 6000 T and a Ship Transfer Area of around 13600 sq.mts. GSL can now count itself as India’s first Defence Shipyard to be equipped with a modern Shiplift facility for launching and docking ships. The commissioning of the ship lift has given impetus to repair activities.

The Modernisation Project will give GSL the ability to build vessels to customers’ requirements in shorter time frames than at present. Once fully complete, it will result in substantial augmentation of the Shipyard’s capacity to fabricate steel, aluminium and GRP hull vessels to nearly three times its present capacity, whilst also leading to a quantum increase in the ship repair segment. This is a part of enhancing India’s strategic ability to design and build its “own ships”.
Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL) established in 1957, is a leading Integrated Management System on ISO 9001:2015 certified shipyard on the West Coast of India, functioning under the administrative control of the Ministry of Defence, Govt. of India.

GSL is strategically located on the banks of river Zuari in Goa, a major international tourist destination well connected by its international airport and major port en route all important shipping lines.

Beginning as a small barge building yard, GSL has garnered a reputation as one of the most sophisticated shipbuilders in the Country. For over four decades, GSL has designed, built and commissioned a wide range of sophisticated vessels for varied applications in the defence and commercial sectors with special expertise in building modern patrol vessels of Steel and Aluminium hull structures.

GSL’s inherent strengths are

• An Integrated Management System on ISO 9001:2015 Certified Company.
• In-house design capability.
• World-class CAD/CAM facility with Tribon platform.
• ERP-enabled management integrated with design and planning application which enables effective database management, project monitoring and control.
• Shift Lift facility of 6000 Tonnes and Repair berths.
• Modern steel preparation shop with CNC plate cutting machines, automatic shot blasting equipment & CNC pipe bending machine.
• Modern Electronic Workshop.
• Ship Repair and General Engineering Services.
• Setting up of Simulated Training facilities.
• A workforce of over 1700 skilled personnel and over 265. Qualified Engineers and Naval Architects.

Services Offered

GSL offers a wide spectrum of services to its valued customers which include:

• Designing and building a variety of vessels and simulating training facilities.
• Repair and modernization of vessels.
• Supply of Stern Gear.