CSL's response comes after a number of media reports claimed that it had received more than 40 global orders for shipbuilding, based on a remark by Union shipping minister Sarbananda Sonowal.

CSL's response comes after a number of media reports claimed that it had received more than 40 global orders for shipbuilding, based on a remark by Union shipping minister Sarbananda Sonowal.

CSL's response comes after a number of media reports claimed that it had received more than 40 global orders for shipbuilding, based on a remark by Union shipping minister Sarbananda Sonowal.

State-owned Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL) has been the talk of the town recently after Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW), Sarbananda Sonowal, on Thursday commented on its orderbook.

He was quoted as saying that CSL has "received" orders "from foreign countries like the Germany, America, and Norway", for the construction of “more than 40 ships”.

"(India's growing credibility in shipbuilding) is the reason why we are getting this number of orders, and this reflects how India could generate confidence about its quality production; about its capacity building," he added at a press conference in New Delhi.

However, Cochin Shipyard notified that Sonowal’s ‘40 orders’ statement had been misrepresented in some media reports, which seemed to say that these were 40 fresh orders it received.

CSL clarified that those 40 orders from across the globe were already part of the Kerala-based shipbuilder's existing orderbook, and were in various stages of development—that they were not new orders or deals inked at the ongoing Sagarmanthan 2026.

"The Company would like to clarify that all orders received by CSL, including export orders, have already been intimated to the Stock Exchanges and are available in the public domain," it said in the filing.

"Any new firm orders will be appropriately notified to the Stock Exchanges in accordance with the Company’s Policy on the subject," it added.

Notably, this also comes on the same day that Sonowal held bilateral talks with delegates from Saudi Arabia, Belgium, and Bhutan on day two of Sagarmanthan 2026. Cooperation in shipbuilding was a key area discussed, among other topics.

Progress with global orders

CSL has already made major strides on a number of the global projects in its orderbook.

The latest example of this is an order bagged on Friday by Hooghly Cochin Shipyard Limited (HCSL), a wholly owned subsidiary of CSL, for the construction of two luxury river cruise vessels.

The order from Heritage River Journeys Private Limited is a repeat of its June 2025 order with the shipbuilder, and is valued at about ₹100-250 crore. The two ships will be delivered in 2029-30.

Another recent example was the steel-cutting ceremony CSL conducted earlier this week for the construction of three TRAnsverse 2600E tugs for Danish towage giant Svitzer.

It is a follow-up deal for four such tugs earlier contracted by the Danish company, for which the steel-cutting ceremony took place in early September.

On August 10, CSL delivered the multi-purpose vessel (MPV) MS Maria to HS Schiffahrts UG (haftungsbeschränkt) & Co. KG, a Germany-based shipping company.

That ship had been the second in an eight-vessel deal for HS EcoFreighter ships.

Just a few months before that, on April 16, 2026, Udupi Cochin Shipyard Limited (UCSL) delivered the Wilson Eco V, the fifth in an order with Norwegian firm Wilson ASA for six 3,800-dwt ships.

TAGS