A large shipbuilding yard is set to come up at Ponnani Port, boosting industrial development in Kerala’s Malabar region, officials said. The tender process for the project, which will be developed under a public-private partnership model, has been completed, with the agreement with the private partner expected to be signed within two weeks.

According to a statement, the shipyard will be established on around 29 acres of coastal land on the western side of the Ponnani fishing harbour under the Kerala Maritime Board. It will be the second shipyard in the state after Kochi.

A shipbuilding-related training institute will also be set up as part of the project, while cargo-handling operations are planned to commence soon after the yard becomes operational. In the first phase, the facility will focus on building small vessels, supported by the construction of a wharf adjoining the breakwater at the estuary. Investment in this phase is estimated at about Rs 2 billion.

The second phase will expand operations to include the construction of large vessels, with an estimated investment of around Rs 10 billion over the next seven to ten years. The project aims to position Ponnani as the largest shipbuilding hub in the state after Kochi.

Officials said the shipyard is expected to generate employment for around 1,000 people. To facilitate the development, alternative facilities will be provided on the eastern side of the harbour for fish-drying units currently operating on the land earmarked for the shipyard. The decision was taken at a meeting chaired by the District Collector.

Local MLA P. Nandakumar said the project would provide a major boost to Ponnani’s development and called for local cooperation to ensure smooth implementation.