Assam govt firm signs pact with private company to set up shipyard near Guwahati

The Assam Inland Waterways Company Ltd (AIWCL), a state government enterprise, has signed an agreement with a private company to establish a shipyard at Dharapur on the outskirts of Guwahati, an official statement said on October 7.

Under the agreement signed on Tuesday, a special purpose vehicle, Assam Shipyard Pvt Ltd (ASPL), will be formed as a joint venture between AIWCL and Bharat A to Z (BAZ) Pvt Ltd.

The proposed shipyard will design, manufacture, assemble and commission ships, barges and vessel structures, besides terminals, boats and jetties.

ASPL will also undertake shipyard operations including dry docking, marine works, slipways and floating docks, as well as ship repair, overhauling, servicing and maintenance.

AIWCL Managing Director Saranga Pani Sarma said the joint venture would strengthen the inland water transport sector in Assam, particularly cargo movement and tourism.

The project is also expected to help connect National Waterways 2 and 16 and create new business opportunities, he said.

Sarma said Assam had recently taken a step forward in cargo transportation with the movement of its first international consignment to Bangladesh from Dibrugarh in decades.

The shipyard will have an initial investment of Rs 75 crore and will form part of a broader Rs 475-crore investment proposed by BAZ, Sarma said.

BAZ director Sohel Kazani said ASPL plans to build 40 barges over the next five years, with the project expected to generate around 900 jobs.

The company also plans to manufacture container vessels, with the objective of easing transportation constraints and reducing the cost of moving goods between Kolkata and the Northeast, Kazani said.

Ship recycling will be another area of focus, with the proposed facility supporting owners of old vessels in transitioning to new shipbuilding, he said.

ASPL also plans to develop specialised boats for security, passenger and tourism purposes, besides floating jetties and landing craft for short-sea and island transportation.

Kazani said the shipyard was being planned as an AI-enabled facility where skilled manpower would play a central role in operations.

He said a small number of specialists would initially be brought in from outside Assam to train local workers, with the aim of eventually handing over operations to the locally trained workforce.

The project is expected to strengthen Assam's inland water transport infrastructure and expand the role of waterways in cargo movement and tourism in the Northeast.