SDHI Signs MoU with Royal IHC to Advance Indigenous Offshore Vessel Building in India

In September 2025, India’s largest shipbuilding and heavy fabrication company, Swan Defense and Heavy Industries (SDHI), formerly Reliance Naval and Engineering Limited (RNEL), signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Netherlands-based offshore oil and gas vessel specialist, Royal IHC, to jointly design, build, and retrofit advanced vessels in India.

      - The MoU includes Alar Infrastructure, Royal IHC’s Indian representative, to collaborate on the design, construction, and retrofitting of offshore vessels at SDHI’s modern shipyard in Pipavav Port, Gujarat.

      - The partnership aims to build Offshore Construction Vessels, Pipe Laying Vessels, and Multi-Purpose Offshore Support Vessels, leveraging SDHI’s shipyard capabilities at Pipavav Port.

Main Point :-   (i) This collaboration represents a key step toward enhancing India’s indigenous shipbuilding capacity, strengthening technical expertise, and promoting advanced manufacturing capabilities.

      (ii) The alliance supports the government’s Make in India and Atmanirbhar Bharat initiatives, fostering self-reliance in defense and maritime infrastructure.