Hindustan Shipyard Limited laid the keel for the second 60-ton Bollard Pull Tug for Visakhapatnam Port Authority, with both tugs set to float out in October.
VISAKHAPATNAM: Hindustan Shipyard Limited (HSL) on Friday laid the keel for the second 60-ton Bollard Pull Tug, VC 11206, being built for the Visakhapatnam Port Authority (VPA), marking another milestone in the shipyard's growing partnership with the port.
The keel-laying ceremony was performed by Jasmeet Singh Bindra, IRTS, Chairperson, Visakhapatnam Port Authority, in the presence of senior officials from VPA, HSL, Indian Register of Shipping (IRS) and Solas Marine.
The tug was contracted in December 2025 and is being built to IRS class standards. Its twin tug has already crossed 60% completion, with both vessels scheduled to float out together in October.
The latest vessel will be the 13th vessel built by HSL for Visakhapatnam Port Authority since the launch of Shanti in 1970.
Speaking at the ceremony, VPA Chairperson Jasmeet Singh Bindra said the two tugs would serve as strategic assets for the port by strengthening safe berthing operations and reducing vessel turnaround time.
He said the project reflected HSL's renewed momentum under the Make in India and Atmanirbhar Bharat initiatives.
Bindra also highlighted the long-standing relationship between VPA and HSL, describing both as heritage institutions of Visakhapatnam that have served the nation for more than nine decades.
Commending HSL for adhering to its project schedule, he noted that the work had progressed from steel cutting in February to keel laying in September, reflecting the shipyard's commitment to timely execution.
HSL Chairman and Managing Director RAdm Chandrasekharan Raghuram, VSM (Retd.), thanked the VPA leadership, officials from IRS and Solas Marine, and HSL's officers, supervisors and workforce for their contribution to the project.
The proposed areas of cooperation include a 60-ton electric tug, conversion towards a green fleet, and a long-term ship repair partnership leveraging HSL's dry dock facilities.
He also highlighted plans for a future shipbuilding complex at Dugarajapatnam, which could further expand the maritime manufacturing ecosystem in the region.
“One yard, one mission, powering India's maritime destiny,” Raghuram said.
The keel-laying of the second tug represents more than an addition to VPA's operational fleet, with HSL and VPA positioning their collaboration as part of India's broader maritime development ambitions.
The partnership is aligned with the objectives of Atmanirbhar Bharat and Viksit Bharat 2047, while strengthening Visakhapatnam's potential as a major shipbuilding and maritime hub.
With the two 60-ton Bollard Pull Tugs scheduled for a joint float-out in October, the project marks another step in expanding the operational capabilities of Visakhapatnam Port while reinforcing HSL's role in India's indigenous shipbuilding ecosystem.
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