PPP Shipyard Planned at Ponnani Port in Kerala

21 Jan 2026 CW Team

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.

Infrastructure Urban

21 Jan 2026

IDE Technologies to Build 60 MLD Desalination Plant in Tamil Nadu

IDE Technologies, a global provider of water treatment solutions, has signed a contract with the State Industries Promotion Corporation of Tamil Nadu Limited (SIPCOT) for the design, construction, and operation of a 60 MLD seawater reverse osmosis (SWRO) desalination plant in Tamil Nadu. The project will be executed in partnership with Jindal Water Infrastructure Limited (JWIL) and Vishnusurya Projects and Infra (VPIL).The plant will be located at Mullakadu in Tuticorin and is aimed at strengthening regional water security while addressing rising water scarcity in the area. IDE secured the pro..

RDI Fund to Back Industry Projects From January

As a follow-up to an announcement by Narendra Modi on 3 November 2025, funding under the Research, Development and Innovation (RDI) framework for industry-backed projects is set to begin by the end of this month, with the scheme having entered its execution phase and two public sector institutions ready to commence disbursements. The update emerged after a review of the RDI Fund scheme chaired by Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology and Earth Sciences, and Minister of State for the PMO, Department of Atomic Energy, Department of Space, Person..

PM-SETU Industry Meet Advances ITI Reforms in Maharashtra

The Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship convened a major industry consultation in Pune as part of the rollout of the PM-SETU (Pradhan Mantri Skilling and Employability Transformation through Upgraded ITIs) scheme. The programme, hosted at the Yashwantrao Chavan Academy of Development Administration, was led by Debashree Mukherjee, Secretary, MSDE, Government of India, and Manisha Verma, Additional Chief Secretary, Skills, Employment, Entrepreneurship and Innovation Department, Government of Maharashtra. More than 40 companies from sectors such as automotive, construction, texti..