Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders, Swan Defence sign pact to build Landing Platform Docks for Indian Navy

Biju George, Director, Shipbuillding, MDL, and Vivek Merchant, Director, Swan Defence, signing the Teaming Agrement at the ongoing India Maritime Week 2025 in Mumbai on Tuesday.

Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Ltd (MDL) has signed an exclusive Teaming Agreement (TA) with Swan Defence and Heavy Industries Ltd (SDHI) (formerly known as Reliance Naval Engineering Ltd that operated the Pipavav Shipyard in Gujarat) to collaborate in the design and construction of Landing Platform Docks (LPDs) for the Indian Navy.

Biju George, Director, Shipbuillding, MDL, and Vivek Merchant, Director, SDHI, , signed the TA at the ongoing India Maritime Week 2025 in Mumbai on Tuesday. MDL is India’s premier defence shipyard company under the Ministry of Defence while SDHI is India’s largest shipbuilding and heavy fabrication company.

The Defence Acquisition Council last week accorded approval for the acquisition of LPDs – a critical capability addition for the Indian Navy to project power, undertake amphibious operations, and deliver humanitarian assistance and disaster relief missions. The total cost is estimated to be around ₹33,000 crore.

Under the TA, MDL will bring its experience in ship design, project management, and system integration, while Swan Defence will provide its world-class shipbuilding infrastructure for the construction of the vessels. The partnership is designed to combine the technical, financial, and operational strengths of both shipyards to deliver an optimal solution for the Indian Navy, stated a release.

Biju George told newspersons at the signing of the TA that the agreement is exclusive in nature for the LPD project. This is a public-private-partnership, which is aligned with the Centre’s intent to have the public and private sector join together. “It is a marriage between capacity and capability with SDHI having the largest graving dry dock in the country and MDL having the longest legacy of building ships in the country,” he said.

On the level of localisation in the project, George said, for the current Frigate programme that MDL is executing, the level of localisation is about 75 per cent. For the TA with SDHI , it will also have a high degree of local content as the ancillary industry in the country is maturing. As LPD comes in to the production, localisation will further mature and to leverage. There will be some portion of imports. However, a lot of foreign OEMs are opening shops in India, he said.

Vivek Merchant of SDHI said, “We are excited to partner with MDL for this prestigious programme. Together, we aim to deliver technologically advanced, globally competitive platforms that will strengthen the Indian Navy’s blue-water capabilities. This TA reinforces our commitment to Atmanirbhar Bharat and to develop India as a global shipbuilding hub.”

Published on October 28, 2025