The public-sector Metal and Steel Factory at Ishapore, West Bengal, is undergoing its first major technology upgrade in 50 years, with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh presiding over the Bhoomi Poojan ceremony for two projects together worth Rs 750 crore.
The first facility is a heavy-duty hydraulic open die forging press with 3,000-tonne capacity, replacing an ageing 2,650-tonne press in operation since 1976. Scheduled for completion within 26 months, the new press is expected to offer annual savings of Rs 25.58 crore by cutting downtime and maintenance costs while supporting annual turnover of Rs 500 crore, ensuring long-term supply chain reliability for defence forces.
The second project, a radial forging plant, is being built at an outlay of Rs 473.84 crore with a 30-month execution timeline. Incorporating Industry 4.0 standards, the facility will significantly expand production capability for super-alloy forgings, hollow tubes for aerial bombs, critical hardware for future ordnance systems, high-strength railway axles and nuclear reactor components, reducing import dependence on strategic forgings.
MSF Ishapore is part of Yantra India Limited, created after the Ministry of Defence revamped the Ordnance Factory Board in 2021.
Separately, Rajnath Singh presided over the groundbreaking for three expansion projects of Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers Limited, which has signed lease agreements with Shyama Prasad Mookerjee Port for a 32-acre riverside property at Raichak, a timber pond site in Shalimar, and a workshop at Kidderpore Docks — together supporting an investment of over Rs 2,600 crore to expand warship and commercial vessel building capacity.
