Dredging Corporation of India Limited (DCIL) marked its 50th anniversary in Visakhapatnam with a ceremony that drew employees and officials to commemorate five decades of service. The company set a growth target of Rs 30 bn as part of an expansion and modernisation roadmap. The event underlined DCIL's role in supporting port infrastructure and cargo movement across the country.

Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal said the organisation had played an important role in ensuring efficient port operations and in strengthening supply chains that support the blue economy. The Union Minister of State for Ports, Shipping and Waterways indicated that DCIL's contributions to infrastructure had supported India's ambition to be a self-reliant maritime nation. The secretary for the ministry noted that the company was exploring submarine cable trenching, offshore wind energy support and inland waterways development.

The chairman described a long-term vision aligned with national aspirations and envisaged DCIL as a globally recognised leader in dredging services by 2047. The chief executive officer said the organisation's journey reflected a continued focus on supporting port infrastructure and maritime development and that the expansion roadmap and modernisation push underpinned the Rs 30 bn growth target. The company undertakes nearly 80 per cent of India's maintenance dredging, handling about 120 mn cubic metres of material out of an estimated total of 150 mn cubic metres.

The corporation recorded steady fiscal growth, with revenues rising from Rs 2 bn in its early years to Rs 11.48 bn in the last financial year. It is engaged in maintenance and capital dredging projects at major ports including Vizag, Haldia, Kandla, Kochi, Paradip, Chennai and Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority in Navi Mumbai. The golden jubilee ceremony was attended by the Visakhapatnam Port Authority deputy chairperson and served as a marker of DCIL's five decades of service to the nation.