COCHIN SHIPYARD LIMITED Share Price

Cochin Shipyard Ltd, a Miniratna company under the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, is one of India’s leading shipbuilding and repair yards.

With a legacy spanning over five decades, Cochin Shipyard has established itself as a global hub for shipbuilding, ship repair and refits.

The company’s expertise extends beyond shipbuilding and ship repairs. It also offers services such as offshore vessel construction, refits and conversions, marine engineering, strategic and advanced solutions in the maritime space.

Cochin Shipyard started its journey in 1969 when Cochin was selected for the launch of the first Greenfield Shipbuilding Yard in the country.

The yard was designed and constructed under technical collaboration with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Japan. The facilities in its first phase were completed by 1982. The company was legally incorporated in 1972.

The shipyard began ship repair operations in 1982 and has undertaken repair works of all types of vessels since then, including upgradation of ships of oil exploration industry as well as periodical lay-up repairs and life extension of ships of Navy, UTL, Coast Guard, Fisheries and Port Trust besides merchant fleet.

In 2023, Cochin Shipyard was upgraded from ‘Schedule B’ to ‘Schedule A’ central public sector enterprise by the Government of India. The company said that the upgrade to ‘Schedule A’ will empower it to operate with a broader senior management bandwidth, a necessity for effectively overseeing its seven units located in Kochi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Port Blair, Howrah and Udupi.

The Cochin Shipyard stock was listed on exchanges in August 2017. As of December 2023, the company had a market capitalisation of ₹17,877 crore. Cochin Shipyard share price has surged 264% in the last three years.

Business operations

In the domestic market, the company has established strong relationships with key clients such as the Indian Navy, the Indian Coast Guard, the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Shipping Corporation of India Ltd, the Lakshadweep Government, various ports, the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI), the A&N Administration and the Directorate General of Lighthouses and Lightships (DGLL).

Its services also encompass the repair and upgradation of vessels, including those in the oil exploration industry, as well as routine maintenance, repairs and life extension of ships.

Internationally, Cochin Shipyard has collaborated with renowned technology firms like Rolls Royce Marine, GTT, IHC Holland, Robert Allan, Fincantieri and Vard Group.

Its portfolio of services includes the following:

Shipbuilding: The company has proven expertise and a track record of offering a flexible range of products such as tankers, product carriers, bulk carriers, passenger vessels, high bollard pull tugs and air defence ships.

Ship repair: Cochin Shipyard has rich experience in ship repair and has successfully completed more than 2,500 ship repair projects so far for clients from the defence and commercial sectors. It has been closely associated with the Indian Navy for undertaking refits and maintenance of their fleet since commencement of ship repairs. Cochin Shipyard is the only yard in India capable of undertaking dry dock repairs of aircraft carriers owned by the Indian Navy.

Marine engineering training: The Marine Engineering Training Institute (METI) started with a Graduate Mechanical Engineers (GME) Course in 1993. This 12-month course is mandatory for continuing with the 6-month shipboard training prior to appearing for Class IV Certificate of Competency exam (MEO Class-IV) to become an Officer in charge of an Engineering Watch in a manned engine room or as a designated duty engineer in a periodically unmanned engine room of merchant ships.

Financial highlights

The fiscal year 2022-23 presented certain financial and operational challenges for Cochin Shipyard, resulting in earnings falling short of expectations.

• Turnover slipped to ₹2,330.46 crore in FY23 from ₹3,190 crore in FY22.
• The profit after tax (PAT) was also down to ₹334.5 crore in FY23 from ₹586.57 crore in FY22.
• Earnings per share slipped to ₹25.43 in FY23 from ₹44.59 in the previous year.
• The company paid a total dividend of ₹17 per equity share of face value of ₹10 each (170%) for the year 2022-23.