Hindustan Shipyard

Hindustan Shipyard Limited

Type	Public Sector Undertaking
Industry	Shipbuilding
Founded	21 June 1941 (1941-06-21)
Founder	Walchand Hirachand
Headquarters	Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh , India
Key people	Rear Admiral C. Raghuram, VSM (Retd., Chairman and Managing Director)
Services	Shipbuilding Ship repair Submarine construction and refits
Revenue	~₹1,730 crore (US$180 million) (2026, provisional)
Net income	~₹225 crore (US$23 million) (2026, provisional)
Owner	Government of India
Parent	Ministry of Defence
Website	hslvizag.in

Hindustan Shipyard Limited (HSL) is a public sector undertaking shipyard located in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, on the east coast of India. It operates under the Ministry of Defence and undertakes shipbuilding, ship repair, submarine construction and submarine refit activities.

HSL was founded by industrialist Walchand Hirachand in 1941 as Scindia Shipyard. It was subsequently taken over by the Government of India and renamed Hindustan Shipyard Limited. In 2010, the shipyard was transferred from the administrative control of the Ministry of Shipping to the Ministry of Defence.

HSL is one of India's major public-sector shipyards and has capabilities covering construction, repair and refit of naval and commercial vessels. It also has specialised infrastructure and experience in submarine refits.

History

HSL was established by Walchand Hirachand in 1941 as Scindia Shipyard. The foundation stone was laid at Visakhapatnam on 21 June 1941.

The shipyard constructed a range of commercial vessels after independence and subsequently expanded into naval shipbuilding, ship repair and submarine support.

In 1961, the shipyard was nationalised and renamed Hindustan Shipyard Limited.

In December 2009, the Government of India decided to transfer HSL from the Ministry of Shipping to the Ministry of Defence. The transfer was completed in 2010, bringing HSL under the administrative control of the Ministry of Defence.

Facilities and capabilities

HSL's facilities at Visakhapatnam support shipbuilding, ship repair, heavy fabrication and submarine refit activities. The shipyard has a covered building dock capable of accommodating vessels of up to approximately 80,000 deadweight tonnage (DWT), together with slipways, fitting-out facilities, dry-dock and wet-basin infrastructure.

The shipyard has constructed commercial vessels, naval auxiliary vessels, survey vessels, tankers and other specialised ships. Its repair division undertakes maintenance and major refits of naval and commercial vessels.

HSL also undertakes major submarine refit and repair programmes for the Indian Navy, making it an important part of India's naval maintenance and support infrastructure.

Major projects

Diving Support Vessels

HSL constructed INS Nistar, India's first indigenously designed and constructed Diving Support Vessel for the Indian Navy. The vessel was delivered to the Navy in July 2025 and subsequently commissioned at Visakhapatnam.

INS Nistar is designed for deep-sea diving, salvage and submarine rescue operations and incorporates a deep-submergence rescue capability.

HSL subsequently delivered the second Diving Support Vessel, INS Nipun, to the Indian Navy in 2026. The vessel is intended for deep-sea salvage and submarine rescue operations.

Fleet Support Ships

In 2023, the Indian Navy awarded HSL a contract for the construction of five Fleet Support Ships. The vessels are designed to provide underway replenishment of fuel, water, ammunition and stores to naval vessels, thereby extending the operational endurance of the Indian Navy.

The first Fleet Support Ship was keel-laid at HSL in November 2024. Construction of the programme has also involved utilisation of additional domestic shipbuilding capacity.

The fifth and final Fleet Support Ship entered construction in 2026, with deliveries of the programme scheduled to begin from 2027.

Submarine construction and refit

HSL has significant experience in submarine repair and refit and has undertaken major refit and maintenance programmes for submarines of the Indian Navy.

The shipyard's submarine infrastructure and engineering capabilities form an important part of India's strategic naval industrial base. HSL is also positioned to participate in future submarine construction, maintenance and life-cycle support programmes.

GRSE partnership

On 9 February 2026, HSL signed an agreement with Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE) to form a consortium for undertaking large-scale and strategically significant national shipbuilding programmes.

The partnership is intended to combine the shipbuilding capabilities and infrastructure of the two government-owned shipyards for large naval and national shipbuilding programmes.

Expansion

HSL has proposed expanding its shipbuilding capacity through development of a greenfield shipyard in Andhra Pradesh. The proposed facility is intended to support the Government of India's long-term objective of increasing domestic shipbuilding capacity and strengthening India's maritime industrial base.

Potential locations have been examined in Andhra Pradesh. The project remains subject to site selection, government approvals and investment decisions.

Government status

HSL was granted Miniratna Category-I status by the Government of India in 2025. The status provides the company with greater financial and operational autonomy and supports investment, modernisation and capacity expansion.

Financial performance

HSL recorded a significant improvement in profitability during financial year 2024–25. The company reported turnover of approximately ₹1,471 crore and profit after tax of approximately ₹213 crore during the year.

For financial year 2025–26, HSL subsequently reported provisional and unaudited financial performance of approximately ₹1,730 crore turnover and ₹225 crore net profit. The provisional turnover represented approximately 18% year-on-year growth, while net profit increased by approximately 12%.

The FY2025–26 figures are provisional and unaudited and should not be presented as audited annual-report figures until HSL publishes its 2025–26 annual report and audited financial statements.

Management

Rear Admiral C. Raghuram, VSM (Retd.) assumed charge as Chairman and Managing Director of HSL in July 2026.

See also

• Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers
• Cochin Shipyard
• Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders
• Goa Shipyard
• Shipbuilding in India
• Indian Navy

History

Founded as the Scindia Shipyard, it was built by industrialist Walchand Hirachand as a part of The Scindia Steam Navigation Company Ltd. Walchand selected Visakhapatnam as a suitable location for the construction of the yard and took possession of the land in November 1940. The foundation stone for the shipyard was laid by Dr. Rajendra Prasad on 21 June 1941, who was at that time the acting Congress President.

The first ship to be constructed fully in India after independence was built at the Scindia Shipyard and named Jal Usha. It was launched in 1948 by Jawaharlal Nehru at a ceremony where the families of Seth Walchand Hirachand, late Narottam Morarjee, and Kilachand Devchand, the partners of Scindia Shipyard, were present along with other dignitaries and industrialists.

Walchand died in 1953, and the Scindia Shipyard continued to operate successfully under the next of kin of the founders. However, in 1961 the shipyard was nationalised and renamed Hindustan Shipyard Limited (HSL).

In 2010, HSL was transferred from the Ministry of Shipping to the Ministry of Defence.

In 2022, Hindustan Shipyard Limited registers highest value of production in its history. the value of production from shipbuilding remained at ₹613 crore marking it as the highest value of production recorded from shipbuilding division in the history of the shipyard.

In April 2025, the shipyard got a profitable turnover in close to four decades after years of narrow losses. The shipyard aims to achieve the miniratna status.

On 9 February 2026, HSL signed an agreement with to form a consortium with Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE) in order to undertake "large-scale, strategically significant national shipbuilding programme".

Ships built by the company

INS Dhruv built by HSL

• Nand Rati (1984)
• Lok Rajeswari (1988)
• MV Goa (1997)
• Tamilnadu (2000)
• MV Good Princess (2008)
• MV Good Pacific (2008)
• Good Precedent (2011)
• Indian Grace (1978)
• Indian Glory (1978)
• Indian Explorer (1976)
• TS Rajendra (1972)
• INS Dhruv
• INS Nistar
• MV Mayuree Naree (2007)

Facilities

Aerial View of HSL

The shipyard is relatively compact at 46.2 ha (0.462 km²). It is equipped with the plasma cutting machines, steel processing and welding facilities, material handling equipment, cranes, logistics and storage facilities. It also has testing and measuring facilities.

It has a covered building dock for building vessels up to 80,000 DWT. There are three slipways and a 550 m (1,800 ft) fitting-out jetty.

HSL has a dry dock, wet basin and repair delphin for ship and submarine repair and retrofitting.

Vessels

By 2009, over 192 vessels had been built at HSL through 2009 and the shipyard had repaired almost 2000 ships. It builds bulk carriers, offshore patrol vessels, survey ships, drill ships, offshore platforms and repair and support vessels.

It also conducts major overhauls of the Indian Navy's submarines, and is being equipped to construct nuclear-powered submarines. However, the shipyard has a history of protracted refits. The submarines Vela, Vagli, and Sindhukirti each spent almost 10 years for a single refit at HSL. Where a Russian shipyard would deploy 200 workers in three shifts to complete the refit in two years, HSL deployed only 50 workers to work on Sindhukirti.

External links

• Website