Kolkata: As a mark of its commitment towards the “Make in India, Make for the World” vision, Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) Ltd laid the keel for the second vessel of Multi-Purpose Vessel (MPV) project being executed for Germany’s Carsten Rehder Schiffsmakler and Reederei GmbH & Co. KG, on Monday, December 29, 2025.
This contract – the largest for MPVs in GRSE’s history – is a testament to the shipyard’s efforts towards diversification of products and expansion to the global commercial shipbuilding market.
The ceremony was graced by M Venkatesh Murthy, Chief General Manager, CSB, GRSE, Sujoy Chakravorty, Chief General Manager, Commercial, GRSE, in the presence of senior officials from GRSE and representatives from the German shipping firm & DNV.
The project involves the designing and building of modern series of high performance vessels under the CORAL 7500 DWT MPV series. The initial contract for four vessels was signed on June 22, 2024, followed by subsequent agreements bringing the total order to twelve vessels. The final contracts, including ninth to twelfth Hybrid Propulsion MPVs, were signed on September 19, 2025.
Each MPV will have an overall length of 120 metres and a beam of 17 metres, with a draught of 5.85 metres. With a capacity to carry 7,500 metric tonnes of cargo, these vessels are equipped with a single, large cargo hold designed for bulk, general and project cargoes. An innovative feature is the capability to carry containers on hatch covers and multiple large windmill blades on deck – enhancing flexibility in cargo handling.
The project is being developed in close collaboration with German firms including F.H. Bertling, ForestWave Navigation/Schulte & Bruns, and Delft Shipping. Technical design expertise has been provided by SEDS, in partnership with GRSE. These ships shall be certified by DNV, the classification society.
