Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Ltd (MDL), a Central government undertaking that had earlier signed an understanding with the Tamil Nadu government to set up a shipbuilding facility in Thoothukudi, has now entered into a fresh memorandum of understanding with the Maharashtra government for a comparable project.
In September 2025, MDL had signed an MoU with Tamil Nadu to establish a shipyard in Thoothukudi district with an investment of about Rs 15,000 crore. However, the company had not begun work on the proposed facility.
In the intervening period, MDL’s senior officials reportedly met Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, triggering speculation that the investment could move out of Tamil Nadu. The latest development is MDL signing an MoU with Maharashtra to set up a shipbuilding facility in Raigad district with an investment of around Rs 27,000 crore.
Sources cited in the report said the company, which had signed the Tamil Nadu MoU about a year ago, has now stepped away from the state’s shipyard plan, with delays including land allotment being mentioned as a reason.
