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In a significant boost to India’s shipbuilding sector, Polestar Maritime Ltd has placed an order for two state-of-the-art 70-ton bollard pull (BP) tugs with Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL). This latest order follows an earlier contract for three similar tugs placed with Udupi Cochin Shipyard Ltd. (Udupi-CSL), a wholly owned subsidiary of CSL.
Polestar Maritime, a prominent operator in coastal towing, harbour tug services, and marine support for ports, is expanding its fleet to meet growing demand in the maritime logistics and port service sectors.
The new tugs will feature designs from Robert Allan Ltd., a globally renowned naval architecture firm specialising in high-performance harbour tugs. Cochin Shipyard Ltd and Udupi-CSL have been at the forefront of introducing these modern designs into India, aligned with the Government’s Approved Standard Tug Design and Specifications (ASTDS) as part of the broader Atmanirbhar Bharat (self-reliant India) initiative.
Under a collaborative arrangement, construction of the tugs will be shared between CSL’s main yard in Cochin and its Udupi facility. The vessels will be powered by twin 1838 kW main engines and 2.7-meter diameter propellers, supplied by Niigata IHI Power Systems of Japan.
With this contract, Cochin Shipyard Ltd’s tug order book now stands at 18 conventional tugs and 2 green tugs, several of which are currently under construction. Cochin Shipyard Ltd has already delivered four tugs as part of the government’s Make in India program.
“We are pleased to receive a repeat order from Polestar Maritime. It reflects growing confidence in Indian shipbuilding capabilities,” said Madhu S Nair, Chairman and Managing Director of Cochin Shipyard Ltd.
“We are also committed to transforming the sector through green technologies, including the Battery Electric Tugs that will be part of the upcoming Green Tug Transition Programme (GTTP).”
The order reinforces CSL’s leadership in domestic shipbuilding and signals continued growth in indigenous marine technology aligned with India’s sustainability goals and industrial self-reliance.
