Swan Defence and Heavy Industries Limited (SDHI) will complete five Offshore Support Vessels (OSVs) for Kakinada based San Maritime India Pvt. Ltd and has begun docking the hulls at Pipavav shipyard for completion under Indian Register of Shipping class to serve the offshore industry. The project will see the vessels finished to meet industry requirements and will support deployment to Indian-flag operators. Work commenced following the transfer of the hulls and the arrival of personnel and equipment necessary for outfitting and trials.

The completion of the five OSVs is expected to strengthen Indian-flag tonnage and offshore capability and to create maritime jobs while reinforcing the Government of India vision of advancing indigenous self reliant shipbuilding through targeted financial assistance and incentive schemes. The programme will also support local vendors and service providers across the shipbuilding ecosystem and is intended to stimulate demand for domestic fabrication and supply chains. SDHI described the initiative as part of a broader effort to rebuild operational capacity at the yard.

The hulls were acquired by SDHI as part of the acquisition plan of Reliance Naval and Engineering Limited (RNEL) through the National Company Law Tribunal process and were subsequently transferred to San Maritime. Construction of the vessels had been initiated under the previous regime and the revived shipyard will complete the vessels, demonstrating operational readiness and executional capability under new leadership. The collaboration between the parties is intended to expedite delivery schedules and to secure continuity for ongoing offshore programmes.

Located on the west coast of India, the Pipavav shipyard offers extensive shipbuilding capacity including the country's largest dry dock, measuring 662 m by 65 m, a wet basin of 340 m by 60 m and a one point two km dedicated waterfront for berthing, docking and launching vessels. The yard also has a fabrication capacity of 164,000 tonne (t) per annum which provides a significant advantage in fulfilling India's maritime and industrial ambitions. SDHI will continue to focus on innovation, safety and sustainability while engaging local partners to support the completion of the OSVs.