How Garden Reach Shipbuilders is transforming itself to become a global defence exporter

/5 min read
magazine-cover-image
This story belongs to the issue:
May 2025
Read Full E-Magazine

This story belongs to the Fortune India Magazine May 2025 issue.

With a vision to become a global defence exporter and achieve ‘Navratna’ status by 2030, Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers is undergoing a major transformation.

ADVERTISEMENT

How Garden Reach Shipbuilders is transforming itself to become a global defence exporter
Commodore (Retd) P.R. Hari, chairman & MD, GRSE; 100 Emerging Stars; Rank 2 

“It’s not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent, but the most responsive to change,” Commodore (Retd.) P.R. Hari quotes Charles Darwin as he encapsulates the philosophy of Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers Ltd (GRSE).

The Kolkata-based defence shipyard, which traces its genesis back to 1884, has embodied this evolutionary principle in its transformation from a conventional warship builder for the Indian Navy into what its chairman and MD describes as “a modern, competitive player” with global aspirations. “GRSE’s transformation from a conventional defence PSU (DPSU) warship builder to an agile, innovation-led shipbuilder is driven by a vision to achieve global recognition, technological excellence, and sustainability,” Hari tells Fortune India.