Make In India, Sail For The World: GRSE’s Fourth MPV Keel Cements Its Global Cargo Play

Nikunj Parikh - Mumbai Bureau May 31, 2026 1,600 Views

Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE) has laid the keel for the fourth Multi-Purpose Vessel (MPV) under a major German export project, reinforcing India’s growing role in global commercial shipbuilding. The milestone strengthens GRSE’s Make in India, Make for the World credentials and deepens its partnership with leading European shipping players.

Expanding India’s Shipbuilding Footprint

Kolkata-based Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE) on 30 May 2026 laid the keel of the fourth CORAL 7500 DWT MPV for Germany’s Carsten Rehder Schiffsmakler and Reederei GmbH & Co. KG. The project is the largest commercial shipbuilding export order in GRSE’s history and is central to its strategy of scaling up presence in international markets.

Inside The German MPV Project

The MPV series began with a 2024 contract for four vessels, later expanded to a 12-ship order. The last set of contracts, covering the ninth to twelfth hybrid propulsion MPVs, was signed in September 2025, signalling strong confidence from European counterparts in GRSE’s design, delivery and cost competitiveness.

Design, Capability And Green Focus

Each CORAL 7500 vessel is 120 metres long, with a 17-metre beam and 5.85-metre draught, designed to carry up to 7,500 metric tonnes of cargo. The ships feature a large, flexible cargo hold for bulk, general and project cargo, with the ability to carry containers on hatch covers and multiple wind turbine blades on deck for the renewables supply chain.

Global Partnerships, Local Strength

The MPVs are being developed in collaboration with German maritime firms F.H. Bertling, ForestWave Navigation/Schulte & Bruns, and Delft Shipping, with technical support from SEDS and classification by DNV. For GRSE, the project sits alongside its warship legacy and engineering portfolio, showcasing how an Indian defence PSU is steadily building a global commercial book.