Royal HaskoningDHV Secures €9 Million Contract for Mega Shipyard Development in Mumbai
Royal HaskoningDHV, a leading international engineering and project management consultancy, has secured contracts worth approximately €9 million from Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL), India’s foremost shipbuilder. The ambitious project involves the design and management of two new shipbuilding and repair yards in Mumbai, which, alongside MDL’s existing shipyard, will create India’s largest integrated mega-yard. This mega-yard will house the nation’s biggest shipbuilding dry dock, capable of accommodating India’s future aircraft carriers and large commercial vessels.
The project marks a significant step forward for India’s maritime capabilities, reinforcing the nation’s “Make in India” initiative by promoting domestic manufacturing and bolstering local employment.
A Strategic Expansion: The Nhava Yard and South Yard Annexe
The expansion will introduce two shipyards—the 40-acre Nhava Yard and the smaller South Yard Annexe—each serving critical roles in India’s shipbuilding and repair ecosystem.
Nhava Yard: Situated across the channel from MDL’s current site in Mumbai’s island city, this greenfield site will span 40 acres and host up to 30 buildings. The infrastructure will include dry berths, fabrication facilities, workshops, utilities, and advanced plant and machinery. A centerpiece of the Nhava Yard will be its massive dry dock, projected to measure nearly 600 meters in length and 60 meters in width. This facility will be equipped to handle large vessels, including aircraft carriers and the largest Suezmax tankers and bulk carriers. The site will cater to both defense and commercial shipbuilding and repairs, providing employment for approximately 1,500 people.
South Yard Annexe: Located adjacent to MDL’s existing shipyard, the South Yard Annexe will function as a shipbuilding and repair yard with a wet-basin-cum-drydock, hard stands, and a waterfront jetty with roll-on/roll-off capabilities. The site, which incorporates the historic Clarke’s Basin—a legacy of British-built maritime infrastructure—has been leased from the Mumbai Port Authority for 30 years. The facility will create around 500 jobs and support a range of ancillary industries, from technology start-ups to steel manufacturing.
Project Scope and Environmental Focus
Royal HaskoningDHV’s responsibilities include shipyard planning, geotechnical and environmental surveys, detailed engineering, procurement consultancy, and project supervision. The company will also lead the charge in ensuring that the expansion adheres to environmentally sustainable practices, aligning with the Indian Green Buildings Council’s standards.
“We already enjoy a strong working relationship with MDL. From 2006 to 2013, we helped upgrade its existing yard in Mumbai, including the wet basin, Goliath crane, and state-of-the-art workshops,” said Aslam Bijapur, Director for India and Bangladesh at Royal HaskoningDHV. “An important aspect of this project is to perform rigorous environmental risk and impact assessments and ensure that we design facilities with a low carbon footprint while being climate resilient.”
The new facilities will harness solar power, optimize natural lighting, and integrate climate-resilient design principles. These measures are aimed at reducing the shipyard’s environmental impact while promoting long-term sustainability.
Driving Economic Growth and Job Creation
The mega-yard’s development will significantly contribute to the local economy, generating approximately 2,000 direct jobs and supporting numerous ancillary industries and small to medium enterprises (SMEs). These businesses will range from cutting-edge technology start-ups to traditional sectors like steelmaking and manufacturing.
“Driving this expansion is our growing order book and the need for new shipbuilding and repair facilities,” said MDL’s Director of Shipbuilding. “These best-in-class yards will have the flexibility to function independently and collaborate as a single integrated yard. This modular construction approach can reduce lead times and costs, further strengthening the ‘Make in India’ initiative.”
The modular construction strategy will allow all three shipyards—the existing MDL yard, the Nhava Yard, and the South Yard Annexe—to work on different modules of the same vessel simultaneously, enhancing productivity and efficiency.
Project Timeline and Future Outlook
The design phase of the project is expected to take 18 months, followed by construction timelines of 48 months for the Nhava Yard and 36 months for the South Yard Annexe. Upon completion, the mega-yard will not only bolster India’s defense and commercial shipbuilding capacity but also elevate Mumbai’s status as a critical hub in the global maritime industry.
Royal HaskoningDHV’s expertise in maritime, climate resilience, and water technology—backed by a robust local presence with 320 employees in India, including 70 in Mumbai—positions the company as a key player in this transformative project.
As India continues to expand its naval and commercial fleet capabilities, the collaboration between Royal HaskoningDHV and MDL represents a strategic investment in the country’s maritime infrastructure and a catalyst for economic growth.
