DCI marks golden jubilee with robust growth, global vision

DCI celebrates 50 years of pivotal maritime service, marking growth and future ambitions in India's port infrastructure.

The Dredging Corporation of India Limited (DCI) marked a historic milestone on Sunday, celebrating its golden jubilee.

Established on March 29, 1976, as a Central Public Sector Enterprise, the organisation has completed five decades of pivotal service in strengthening India’s maritime and port infrastructure.

From humble beginnings with a revenue of barely ₹200 crore, DCI has grown into a maritime powerhouse, recording a turnover of ₹1,148 crore in the last financial year.

The corporation now handles nearly 80% of the nation’s maintenance dredging, managing about 120 million cubic metres out of the 150 million cubic metres dredged annually across major Indian ports, including Vizag, Haldia, Paradip and JNPA, Navi Mumbai.

The celebrations featured high-level commendations from national leadership. Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal lauded DCI’s role in ensuring smooth cargo movement and advancing the blue economy. Minister of State Shantanu Thakur described the corporation as a lighthouse guiding India’s maritime future.

The event also highlighted DCI’s forward-looking roadmap, which includes an ambitious ₹3,000 crore growth target over the next five to ten years, along with modernisation initiatives and diversification into specialised offshore operations such as submarine cable trenching and offshore wind energy support.