Chowgule Shipyards announced that it has delivered India’s first vessel in the export market since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The general cargo vessel, named ‘Lady Hedwig’ is for Netherlands based client ‘Wijnne & Barends’.

This is the third from a series of six vessels ordered by the client.

"In the absence of OEM service engineers due to COVID-19 restrictions, our team performed the tasks of commissioning equipment themselves, supported remotely by OEMs," said Arjun Chowgule, executive director at Chowgule & Co.

Chowgule Shipyards started in the year 1950 by importing barges for the transportation of iron ore along rivers from the mines to the harbor. A year later, the group established a ship repair yard, which grew in scale to a full-fledged shipbuilding facility by 1968. Since then the company has built over 177 different vessels at its two shipyards.