The Udupi-Cochin Shipyard Ltd delivered a 62-tonne bollard pull tug for Ocean Sparkle Ltd at Malpe near Udupi

The Udupi-Cochin Shipyard Ltd., a fully owned subsidiary of Cochin Shipyard Ltd., a central public sector initiative, produced a 62-tonne bollard pull tug for Ocean Sparkle Ltd., an Adani Group entity, at Malpe close to Udupi, reviving the shipbuilding sector in coastal Karnataka. The tug is the first to be produced and delivered following CSL's September 2020 acquisition of the shipyard from Tebma.

The largest tug owners and operators in India are Adani Harbour Services Ltd. and Ocean Sparkle Ltd., each of which has over 100 tugs. In the presence of CSL Chairman and Managing Director Madhu S. Nair, Director (Technical) Bejoy Bhaskar, Udupi CSL CEO A. Harikumar, Deputy Commissioner K. VidyaKumari, Coastal Security Police SP Anshu Kumar, and others, Ritu Sanjay Kumar Kewalramani, the wife of Adani Harbour Services CEO Sanjay Kumar Kewalramani, named and launched the vessel.

The primary functions of the 62T bollard pull Azimuth Stern Drive (ASD) tugs are harbour towing and ship assistance, with coastal towing and waterborne firefighting as additional functions. The ship has a 500 tonne gross tonnage and is 33 m long, 11.9 m wide, and 5.4 m deep. It has a certified top speed of 12.5 knots and can carry up to 12 crew members. The 62 tonnes of its static bollard pull ahead were built under the Indian flag. According to Udupi CSL, the tug is also the first to be designed in accordance with the Approved Standard Tug Design and Specifications (ASTDS) of the Government of India for standardising Tugs operating in India.

Additionally, the business has agreements with Wilson ASA, Norway, for six 3,800 TDW future-proof dry cargo boats, and Polestar Maritime Limited for two 70-tonne bollard pull tugs. The yard is also building deep sea fishing boats for the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY). 60% of the 450 employees at Udupi CSL are direct Karnataka residents, and the company expects to employ 800 people by the end of the next year. The business helps assist auxiliary industries in the area while working on new initiatives.