DCI to acquire 11 vessels in ₹3,560-crore fleet modernisation push
The Dredging Corporation of India Ltd. (DCI) will acquire 11 new dredgers over the next five years at an estimated cost of ₹3,560 crore, as the state-run company looks to modernise its ageing fleet and strengthen its footprint in port and inland waterway dredging, company officials said.
The new vessels, which will vary in type and capacity, are to be funded through a mix of equity and debt, officials said at DCI’s annual general meeting for 2025-26.
Among the vessels set to join the fleet is the 12,000-cubic-metre trailer suction hopper dredger DCI Dredge Godavari, currently being built by Cochin Shipyard Ltd. under the Atmanirbhar Bharat Initiative, in technical collaboration with Netherlands-based Royal IHC. The dredger was launched in October 2025 and is expected to be inducted into DCI’s fleet during 2026-27, giving the company greater capacity to take on large-volume and capital dredging projects.
The fleet expansion comes on the back of a turnaround in DCI’s financial performance. The company posted revenue from operations of ₹1,208.33 crore and total income of ₹1,214.10 crore for the year. It reported a profit after tax of ₹4.75 crore, reversing a loss of ₹27.46 crore in the previous fiscal.
Its operating profit margin also rose to 16.84%, up from 12.33% a year earlier.
Separately, the company said it is in talks with shipyards and upcoming greenfield ports to set up dry-docking and ship-repair arrangements, a move aimed at cutting vessel turnaround time and boosting fleet availability.
Officials linked the expansion to the broader growth of India’s maritime sector, pointing to rising port capacity, deeper navigation channels, increasing cargo volumes, and a renewed policy focus on inland waterways.
DCI, incorporated in 1976, is currently marking its golden jubilee year. Officials said that as the company completes five decades of operations, it is looking to build on its fleet and expertise by improving vessel utilisation, widening its service offerings, and entering new business areas.