Dredging Corporation of India inks Rs 17,645 cr deals with 16 ports to boost port modernisation

DCIL operates under a consortium of its promoter ports, Visakhapatnam Port Authority, Paradip Port Authority, Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority, and Deendayal Port Authority, functioning under the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways.

The Dredging Corporation of India Limited (DCIL) on Saturday, in a significant move to bolster India’s maritime infrastructure, entered into 22 Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with 16 ports and organizations, totaling Rs 17,645 crore. The agreements are aimed at meeting dredging requirements and driving the modernisation of the country’s ports over the next two to five years.

The MoUs were inked with several major ports, including Visakhapatnam, Paradip, Jawaharlal Nehru, Deendayal, Shyam Prasad Mukherjee, Cochin, Chennai, and Mumbai ports.

DCIL operates under a consortium of its promoter ports, Visakhapatnam Port Authority, Paradip Port Authority, Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority, and Deendayal Port Authority, functioning under the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways.

The corporation also finalised strategic tie-ups with multiple partners to enhance operational efficiency and promote self-reliance. An MoU with Cochin Shipyard focuses on the construction and repair of dredgers as part of the modernisation drive under the Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative, while another with NMDC Abu Dhabi aims to form a joint venture to strengthen global competitiveness.

To further support indigenisation, DCIL has partnered with Bharat Earth Movers Ltd (BEML) for the manufacture of inland dredgers and localisation of spares. An agreement with IHC will focus on modernising the existing fleet and optimising capacity utilisation.

Additionally, a collaboration with the National Technology Centre for Ports, Waterways & Coasts (NTCPWC) at IIT Madras will facilitate a joint venture for conducting bathymetry surveys across ports and developing a dredging training module to create skilled manpower. Another MoU with Indian Oil Corporation Ltd (IOCL) ensures continuous and uninterrupted fuel and lubricant supply to DCIL vessels.

DCIL Managing Director and CEO Capt. S. Divakar said the company currently operates 10 Trailer Suction Hopper Dredgers (TSHDs) with a combined hopper capacity of around 60,000 cubic metres. The fleet enables DCIL to handle nearly 50–60 million cubic metres of dredging annually, about 55 percent of India’s total dredging requirement. He added that the addition of new vessels will further strengthen DCIL’s market presence and reaffirm its leadership in the sector.

DCIL Chairman M. Angamuthu thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Ministry of Ports for their support, highlighting that the Prime Minister’s announcement during India Maritime Week 2025, which includes a Rs 4,000 crore investment for building 11 new dredgers, marks a key milestone under the Maritime Amrit Kaal Vision.

He said the newly signed MoUs will help DCIL address the critical dredging needs of Indian ports, upgrade its existing fleet, and accelerate indigenisation and automation efforts aligned with the government’s Maritime India Vision 2030, a roadmap to position India as a global leader in the maritime and blue economy sectors.

On Friday, shares of Dredging Corporation of India closed 1.85% higher at Rs 740.80 on the BSE.