Swan Defence and Heavy Industries Limited (SDHI) has more than doubled its workforce over the past 18 months and plans to hire more than 550 employees across white-collar and blue-collar roles by March 2027. The hiring drive comes as the company expands its shipbuilding and heavy fabrication operations to support a growing order book.
SDHI is strengthening teams across newbuild, ship repair and refit operations, with hiring focused on project management, design, supply chain management, heavy fabrication and civil works. The company is also expanding its skilled workforce in areas such as precision welding, fitting and pipework.
The company said the expansion of its ongoing projects is expected to generate at least 5,000 additional jobs over the next two to three years through vendors and supply chain partners. This is expected to increase employment opportunities across the wider shipbuilding and maritime manufacturing ecosystem.
SDHI launched SWAVALAMBAN last year as a structured training programme to develop a skilled domestic maritime workforce. The programme brings together talent sourcing, pre-onboarding, technical induction, mentorship and shopfloor deployment as part of a single training and employment process.
Ahead of World Maritime Day on September 24, SDHI said more than 100 graduate, postgraduate and diploma engineers and industrial technicians have completed training under SWAVALAMBAN. The programme has reduced the time required to transition trainees from classroom training to shopfloor deployment by at least 30%.
SWAVALAMBAN was developed in consultation with the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW), Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE), Directorate of Employment & Training (DET), Government of Gujarat, Gujarat Maritime Board (GMB), Indian Maritime University (IMU) and 11 Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs).
As part of the initiative, SDHI and IMU have jointly developed a shipbuilding-specific curriculum combining classroom instruction with practical shopfloor training. SDHI currently conducts specialised maritime courses across the 11 participating ITIs.
“India’s ambition to become a global maritime powerhouse requires investment in human capital alongside physical infrastructure. The success of SWAVALAMBAN shows that structured, industry-aligned training can accelerate technical readiness while maintaining safety and quality,” said Rear Admiral Vipin Kumar Saxena (retd), CEO, Swan Defence and Heavy Industries Limited. “Through collaboration with government agencies and educational institutions, we are developing skilled professionals who will support the growth of our shipbuilding and heavy engineering operations.”
The initiative comes as India expands its shipbuilding capacity and maritime economy. Developing an industry-ready workforce is a key requirement for supporting the country’s maritime growth and the employment objectives outlined under Maritime India Vision 2030.
Swan Defence and Heavy Industries Limited (SDHI), formerly Reliance Naval and Engineering Limited, is a shipbuilding and heavy fabrication company based on India’s west coast. The shipyard has a 662-metre by 65-metre dry dock and fabrication capacity of 164,000 tonnes per annum. SDHI is backed by Swan Corp Limited.
