The Chowgule Shipyard, once defunct under the bankrupt Bharati Defence and Infrastructure (BDIL) on Sunday delivered its first vessel built in-house, the MV Frisian Future (IMO: 1036824).
The Netherlands-flagged cargo ship, built for Dutch ship design and engineering company Conoship International B.V., is the first in an eight-vessel deal with the shipyard.
All eight ECO-8500 multi-purpose cargo vessels will be chartered by NewTide Chartering—a part of the Boomsma Group of shipping services—Conoship had said in a statement after the vessel was launched on December 5, 2025.
While the Frisian Future and two other vessels will be chartered by Boomsma Shipping, the remaining five vessels in the deal will be chartered by Leonhardt & Blumberg and JR Shipping.
With a capacity of 8,500 dwt and a 13,900 m³ single, open-top hold fitted with a full tween deck, Conoship International explained that the vessel was designed to carry various types of cargo across short routes only.
Other key features of the vessel include an improved cargo-to-energy ratio and diesel-electric propulsion, both optimised for efficiency, and a layout suitable for future retrofitting operations, as needed.
In fact, the Dutch firm claimed that its propulsion system already reduced energy usage by about 50-60 per cent as compared to other vessels in the segment, and was "designed to allow lifetime expansion and integration of alternative fuels as they become available".
"Glad to see Mangaluru’s #Shipbuilding revival being noted. From a once-defunct facility to delivering an export-ready vessel, this is a strong step towards rebuilding our coastal industrial ecosystem & a reminder of what focused policy, private investment, and local potential can achieve," wrote Dakshina Kannada MP Captain Brijesh Chowta, praising the emerging shipyard, according to a Hindu report.
About the Chowgule Shipyard
Notably, the shipyard that is now called the Chowgule Shipyard was once India’s second biggest private yard, with multiple facilities spread across the western and eastern seaboards, and owned by the BDIL.
BDIL underwent liquidation via the private sale of specified assets—including the shipyard—after the corporate insolvency resolution process (CIRP) could not find a buyer for it.
“We’ve bid for it (Mangaluru yard) and our bid has been accepted. There are still a few issues that need to be cleared up which is why the matter has been referred to the National Company Law Tribunal,” Arjun Chowgule, Executive Director of the family-owned Chowgule and Company Pvt Ltd, had told ET Infra about the 2022 deal worth Rs 75 crore.
The Mangalore yard, spread over 49.31 acres with 200m of waterfront area, is one among several others that the group operates along India's western coast.