Bharati Shipyard

Bharati Shipyard Limited (BSL) was founded in 1976 by Prakash C. Kapoor and Vijay Kumar, graduates of the Ocean Engineering & Naval Architecture program at Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, as well as colleagues at Mazagon Dock Limited. The company went public in December 2004, with listings on the Bombay Stock Exchange and the National Stock Exchange.

In 2005, BSL subsequently acquired a 51% stake in privately held Pinky Shipyard Private Limited based in Goa. In 2009, BSL won majority control of Great Offshore Limited in a bidding war with ABG Shipyard Limited. In November 2010, BSL acquired a majority stake in South India based Tebma Shipyards for INR 757.5 Million.

BSL bought the entire equipment and infrastructure of the iconic British shipyard, Swan Hunter, in 2007, after it declared bankruptcy.

In 2015, the shipyard group found itself heavily indebted and in severe financial difficulties. In developing a restructuring plan, the Edelweiss Asset Reconstruction Company acquired 70 per cent of the debt from the lending banks and, as an indication of a desire to concentrate on defence business, the company's name was changed in 2015 to Bharati Defence and Infrastructure Limited. In January 2019 the National Company Law Tribunal declared the restructuring proposals from Edelweiss to be unacceptable and ordered the company's liquidation.

Facilities

Bharati Shipyard is headquartered in Mumbai. It operates shipbuilding facilities in Ratnagiri, Dabhol, Mangalore and Kolkata. It has structural quality assurance facilities at Ghodbunder Road in Thane district. Its subsidiary, Pinky Shipyard, has shipbuilding facilities in Goa. Its subsidiary, Tebma Shipyard, has shipbuilding facilities in Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu.

BSL's Dabhol yard is one of the largest in India, spread over 300 acres. In 2007, BSL bought the entire equipment and infrastructure, of bankrupt British shipyard Swan Hunter. The infrastructure, including the iconic cranes and the floating dock, was dismantled, transported to India, and installed at BSL's Dabhol yard.

Products

Bharati Shipyard builds jackup rigs, platform supply vessels, tractor and ASD tugs, dredgers, deep sea fishing vessels, bulk carriers, cargo and container ships, tankers and roll-on/roll-off vessels.

In March 2009, it was awarded a ₹2.8 billion (US$29 million) contract to build 15 high-speed interceptors for the Indian Coast Guard.

Following the prolonged liquidation process, Bharati Defence and Infrastructure Limited was acquired as a going concern under the leadership of Sandeep Omprakash Agarwal pursuant to approval granted by the Hon'ble National Company Law Tribunal, Mumbai Bench. The closure of liquidation proceedings was effected in January 2025.

According to the company's official communications, the revival is intended to reset the company's governance and operational foundation, with the company's activities aligned with the Government of India's Atmanirbhar Bharat and Make in India policy initiatives. The company states its aspiration to contribute to indigenous defence manufacturing, shipbuilding, and advanced deep tech systems.