In a significant boost to indigenous shipbuilding, Thane-based shipyard MSME Suryadipta Projects Private Limited launched the Indian Navy’s first 300-tonne Sullage Barge (Yard 142) on 26 October 2026. The same ceremony also marked the keel-laying of the third Sullage Barge (Yard 144) and the first Bottom Opening Dumb Barge (Yard 148). Rear Admiral Kapil Mehta, Assistant Controller of Warship Production and Acquisition, attended as Chief Guest.
Keywords: Sullage Barge, Indian Navy, Suryadipta Projects, Make in India, Aatmanirbhar Bharat, MARPOL compliance, MSME shipyard
The contracts for four 300-tonne Sullage Barges and three Bottom Opening Dumb Barges were awarded to the shipyard in November 2024 and January 2026 respectively. Both classes of vessels have been designed and constructed indigenously in collaboration with an Indian ship design firm and the Indian Register of Shipping (IRS). Once delivered, the Sullage Barges will collect and transfer liquid waste from naval platforms, enabling compliance with MARPOL regulations and helping prevent marine pollution. The Bottom Opening Dumb Barges will support specialised cargo-handling operations.
Suryadipta Projects has already demonstrated its capability by successfully delivering eleven Ammunition Cum Torpedo Cum Missile (ACTCM) barges to the Navy under an earlier contract. The latest milestones underline the growing role of MSME shipyards in India’s naval auxiliary fleet programme and reinforce the Navy’s commitment to the Make in India and Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiatives.
Beyond operational utility, these specialised barges highlight a distinctive aspect of the Indian Navy’s approach: its recognition that maritime forces must not only safeguard territorial waters but also protect the marine environment. By prioritising indigenous waste-management and support vessels, the Navy is strengthening both combat readiness and ecological responsibility.
The achievement at Thane reflects the steady expansion of India’s domestic shipbuilding ecosystem and the increasing confidence placed in smaller, specialised yards to deliver critical naval assets on schedule and to high standards.
contact: drrajeshjauhri@gmail.com
Dr Rajesh Jauhri is a Journalist with an experience of over 25 years in Indian and foreign media, a Social Scientist, an Ac-complished Author, a Political & Strategic Analyst, a Marksman (Rifle & Pistol), an Orator, a Thinker and an Educationist. He holds a Ph.D. degree on “Impact of colonial heritage on Indian police”. He runs an NGO dedicated to the social and eco-nomic uplift of tribal communities in MP and two decades back, he established a school in a village of Indore district, providing education and moral values to children belonging to underprivileged and minority families. Has received multiple awards in various fields.
