Guwahati: Cochin Shipyard Ltd has joined hands with UAE-based DP World’s Drydocks World to form a 50:50 joint venture to operate and expand the International Ship Repair Facility (ISRF) at Kochi, in a move aimed at turning the port city into a major global ship repair and maritime services hub.The joint venture agreement, signed in New Delhi on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit 2026, will consolidate and expand the ISRF, creating additional capacity to service a wider range of vessels and cater to Indian, regional and international customers.The agreement was signed in the presence of union ports, shipping and waterways minister Sarbananda Sonowal and UAE assistant foreign minister for advanced science and technology Omran Sharaf Alhashimi.The partnership follows an MoU signed during India Maritime Week 2025 and marks a first-of-its-kind public-private partnership in India’s ship repair sector, according to the companies.Sonowal said, “This partnership between Cochin Shipyard and Drydocks World marks an important milestone in strengthening India’s ship repair ecosystem and reflects the enduring maritime relationship between India and the UAE, which has flourished through centuries of trade, commerce and people-to-people ties.”He said that the shared vision and resolve of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan are giving a new momentum to this relationship across strategic and economic sectors.“By combining India’s growing shipbuilding and ship repair capabilities with the UAE’s global maritime expertise, this joint venture will create new capacity, skills and economic opportunities, while strengthening Cochin as a maritime services hub,” Sonowal said.The venture brings together CSL’s shipbuilding, ship repair and engineering expertise and skilled workforce with Drydocks World’s global capabilities in high-end vessel repair, major conversions and offshore engineering.Located strategically along major international shipping routes, the ISRF has a state-of-the-art ship-lift system and modern docking facilities capable of handling a wide range of vessels.
