Hindustan Shipyard Limited (HSL) is a Public Sector Undertaking (PSU) shipyard located in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, and is one of India's major shipbuilding and ship repair organizations. Its type is a Union Government company, incorporated on January 21, 1952, and classified as a company limited by shares. The shipyard's origin dates back to June 21, 1941, when it was founded as the Scindia Shipyard by industrialist Walchand Hirachand as part of The Scindia Steam Navigation Company Ltd. Hirachand selected Visakhapatnam for the yard to solve the problem of India's dependence on foreign shipbuilding. The foundation stone was laid by Dr. Rajendra Prasad.
The shipyard was nationalized in 1961 and renamed Hindustan Shipyard Limited (HSL). HSL's mechanism involves comprehensive services for both defense and commercial sectors, including shipbuilding, ship repair, and specialized submarine construction and refits. It has the capacity to manufacture vessels up to 80,000 deadweight tonnage (DWT) and utilizes facilities like a covered building dock, three slipways, and a dry dock. HSL has built over 200 vessels and repaired nearly 2,000 ships, including naval warships, research vessels, and commercial carriers.
A significant change occurred in 2010 when HSL was transferred from the Ministry of Shipping to the Ministry of Defence, connecting it directly to India's strategic defense industrial base. This transfer positioned HSL as a key partner for the Indian Navy, providing full lifecycle support and upgrades for naval platforms. Recently, HSL has seen a major financial turnaround, with its net assets turning positive for the first time in 40 years in April 2025. The shipyard is currently working on major defense contracts, including the construction of the first 44,000-tonne Naval Fleet Support Ship, and is exploring the establishment of a greenfield satellite shipyard in Andhra Pradesh to expand capacity. HSL is also connected to the Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiative, having built vessels like the Diving Support Vessel INS Nipun with high indigenous content.