Key Highlights
- GRSE signed separate MoUs with DNV and Damen Technical Cooperation B.V., Netherlands.
- The DNV partnership will focus on advanced warships, specialised vessels, green shipping and sustainable technologies.
- The GRSE-DNV collaboration will also cover digital shipbuilding, AI, Industry 4.0, skill development and knowledge exchange.
- The Damen MoU will explore the design and construction of advanced dredgers in India.
- The collaboration combines GRSE’s shipbuilding capabilities with Damen’s expertise in Trailing Suction Hopper Dredgers (TSHD) and Water Injection Dredgers (WID).
- The Damen partnership will support technology transfer, joint design proposals and development of indigenous dredger-building capabilities.
- A 1,000 cubic metre dredger is currently under construction by GRSE for Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority.
- GRSE stated that no financial implication has been ascertained at present from the two MoUs.
Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers Ltd. (GRSE) has signed two separate Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with global maritime organisations DNV (Det Norske Veritas) and Damen Technical Cooperation B.V., Netherlands, to expand its technological capabilities in defence shipbuilding, sustainable maritime technologies and dredger construction.
The agreements were signed on September 2, 2026, during the SMM Hamburg Maritime Trade Fair in Germany.
GRSE and DNV Partner on Advanced Shipbuilding
Under the MoU with DNV, GRSE will combine its capabilities in warship design, shipbuilding and marine engineering with DNV’s expertise in classification, certification, technical assurance, digitalisation, sustainability and maritime advisory services.
The collaboration will focus on several areas, including advanced warships and specialised vessels, green shipping and sustainable technologies, digital shipbuilding, artificial intelligence and Industry 4.0 applications. It will also cover skill development, training and knowledge exchange.
The partnership is expected to strengthen GRSE’s capabilities in digitalisation, green technologies and advanced shipbuilding practices. It is also aimed at supporting India’s ability to undertake technologically sophisticated defence and commercial shipbuilding projects.
Damen MoU Targets Dredger Construction in India
GRSE has also signed an MoU with Damen Technical Cooperation B.V. of the Netherlands to establish a technical and business collaboration framework for exploring the design and construction of advanced dredgers in India.
The agreement combines GRSE’s shipbuilding capabilities with Damen’s expertise in Trailing Suction Hopper Dredgers (TSHD) and Water Injection Dredgers (WID).
The proposed areas of cooperation include advanced dredger design and technology, technical know-how transfer, joint design and construction proposals, development of indigenous dredger-building capabilities and long-term cooperation for future dredging requirements.
The latest agreement builds on the existing collaboration between GRSE and Damen. A 1,000 cubic metre dredger is currently under construction for the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA).
The new partnership is expected to strengthen GRSE’s position in the specialised dredger segment and support India’s growing requirements for modern dredging capabilities.
No Financial Implication Ascertained
GRSE stated that no financial implication has been ascertained at present from the two MoUs.
The company disclosed the agreements under Regulation 30 of the SEBI Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements Regulations, 2015.
GRSE’s Shipbuilding Capabilities
Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers is a Navratna Defence Public Sector Undertaking under the Ministry of Defence, Government of India. The company has built more than 800 platforms, including 118 warships for the Indian Navy, Indian Coast Guard and friendly foreign countries.
GRSE operates four distinct shipyards and has capabilities spanning frigates, corvettes, fleet tankers, landing ships, survey vessels, offshore patrol vessels and fast attack craft.
The company has also diversified into engineering activities, including prefabricated steel bridges, deck machinery, marine diesel engine services and naval surface guns.
GRSE’s modernised infrastructure allows it to undertake the concurrent construction of up to 28 ships, supported by in-house design capabilities, skilled design engineers, a Next Generation VR Lab and modern software tools.
Focus on Maritime Technology and Self-Reliance
The two MoUs mark an expansion of GRSE’s international technical collaborations across defence shipbuilding, green maritime technology, digital shipbuilding and specialised dredger construction.
While the DNV partnership focuses on advanced, sustainable and digitally enabled shipbuilding, the Damen agreement is aimed at strengthening indigenous capabilities in specialised dredger design and construction.