Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) Ltd has received work orders from the West Bengal Tourism Development Corporation Ltd (WBTDCL) for the construction of two hybrid diesel-electric ferries, the company announced on 29 August.

The order was formalised at a 'Formal Work Order Handing Over' event attended by Dr Shankar Ghosh, Minister-in-Charge, Department of Tourism, Government of West Bengal; Smt Purnima Chakraborty, Minister of State, Department of Tourism, Government of West Bengal; and Cmde PR Hari, IN (Retd), Chairman and Managing Director of GRSE, alongside senior officials.

Each ferry will measure 24 metres in length and 8 metres in width, with a passenger capacity of 100 and a draught requirement of 1 metre. The vessels are designed for inland water transportation and will be capable of achieving speeds of up to 9 knots in hybrid diesel-electric mode and 7 knots in fully electric mode.

The propulsion systems will comprise batteries and diesel generators. According to GRSE, the ferries are expected to reduce operational costs and carbon emissions, while offering passengers lower noise and vibration levels. The vessels will be classed by the Indian Register of Shipping (IRS).

The latest contracts bring to 13 the total number of hybrid diesel-electric ferries that GRSE is currently building for the Government of West Bengal. The shipyard previously delivered Dheu, described as West Bengal’s zero-emission electric ferry, in 2025.