New Delhi, Oct. 19 -- Gujarat's Pipavav coast is gearing up to reclaim its place on the global shipbuilding map, as Swan Defence and Heavy Industries (SDHI) launches a multi-year investment programme to transform its shipyard into an integrated defence and commercial vessel manufacturing hub.

Rear Admiral (retd.) Vipin Kumar Saxena, chief executive officer of SDHI, said the project marks a new chapter in India's maritime industrial growth story. "This is a golden period for the country," he said in an exclusive interview to Mint. "We now operate one of the world's largest shipbuilding facilities, and with fresh investment, advanced automation, and strategic collaborations, we're positioned to make Pipavav the nucleus of India's shipbuild...