DCIL Charts Rs 3,000 Crore Growth Path As It Marks 50 Years
Dredger plans, global projects to boost capacity and growth
Visakhapatnam: Dredging Corporation of India Limited has set a target of achieving a turnover of Rs 3,000 crore over the next five to ten years as part of its expansion and modernisation plans in its 50th year, Managing Director and CEO Captain S. Divakar said.
The company is focusing on fleet augmentation, diversification into new segments, and expanding its global footprint while continuing to support maritime infrastructure, he said.
DCIL currently handles about 80 per cent of maintenance dredging in India, amounting to nearly 110 million cubic metres annually, but its share in capital dredging remains around 10 per cent, which it aims to increase.
Divakar said the company has grown from operating one or two dredgers to maintaining a modern fleet. Hopper capacity has increased from 3,500 cubic metres to 12,000 cubic metres, and dredging depth capability from 10–15 metres to up to 25 metres. The company’s turnover has risen from Rs 150–200 crore in its early years to a record Rs 1,146 crore, with an order book of about Rs 1,400 crore.
DCIL has expanded overseas with projects in Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Taiwan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, including dredging work at Yanbu and a reclamation project in Bahrain involving around 10 million cubic metres.
The company expects opportunities from national programmes such as Sagarmala Programme and upcoming projects, including Vadhvan Port, VOC Port expansion and Galathea Bay.
As part of its modernisation aligned with Maritime India Vision 2030, DCIL plans to induct 11 new dredgers, including hopper and cutter suction vessels. It is collaborating with domestic shipyards such as Cochin Shipyard Limited, Hindustan Shipyard Limited, Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers, Goa Shipyard Limited and BEML Limited for indigenous manufacturing.
It is also diversifying into submarine cable trenching, offshore wind energy support and inland waterways development, while considering raising Rs 1,000 crore through a rights issue to fund expansion.
Capacity-building measures include reviving the All India Dredging Cadre, introducing simulator-based training with Indian Maritime University, and setting up a skill development centre in Kakinada.
The company’s flagship vessel, Dredge Godavari, launched in October 2025, is scheduled for sea trials in July and commissioning by September 2026. Developed with Royal IHC, the dredger has a hopper capacity of 12,000 cubic metres and is expected to strengthen the country’s dredging capability.
