Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL) (IAST: Majhagānv Dawk Limiṭeḍ), formerly called Mazagon Dock Limited, is a shipyard situated in Mazagaon, Mumbai. It manufactures warships and submarines for the Indian Navy and offshore platforms and associated support vessels for offshore oil drilling. It also builds tankers, cargo bulk carriers, passenger ships and ferries. MDL is a public sector undertaking managed by the Ministry of Defence, with the Government of India holding an 84.83% stake. Its shipbuilding segment has indigenously built stealth frigates, destroyers, guided-missile destroyers, corvettes, landing platform docks, missile boats, patrol boats, trailing suction hopper dredgers, cargo ships, cargo-passenger ships, platform supply vessels, Voith tugs and BOP vessels, while its submarine segment has built conventional submarines and stealth submarines. Both segments have also performed repair and refit activities. History The shipyards of MDL were established in the 18th century. Ownership of the yards passed through entities including the Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company and the British-India Steam Navigation Company. Eventually, 'Mazagon Dock Limited' was registered as a public company in 1934. The shipyard was nationalised in 1960 and is now a public sector undertaking of the Government of India. Vice Admiral Narayan Prasad, AVSM, NM, IN (Retd), is the Chairman & Managing Director (CMD) of Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited. The retired naval officer took over his current position on 30 December 2019. Activities The activities at the yard are shipbuilding, submarine building, and fabrication of offshore structures. It has manufacturing facilities in Mumbai and Nhava. The yard has the capability to build warships, submarines, and merchant ships up to 30,000 deadweight tons (DWT). It can fabricate wellhead platforms, process and production platforms, and jack-up rigs for oil exploration. Naval projects Warships Nilgiri-class frigate The first warship built by MDL was the 2900-ton displacement INS Nilgiri, the lead ship of her class. She was launched on 15 October 1966 and commissioned on 23 June 1972. Five more frigates of this class were built over the next nine years for the Indian Navy. Godavari-class frigate While construction of the Nilgiri class was being completed, the Indian Navy proposed requirements for an indigenously designed and built frigate. This new frigate was to be of wholly Indian design and manufacture. To address these requirements, MDL designed and built the guided-missile frigates with a 3,800-tonne displacement and the ability to embark two helicopters. MDL built three ships of the class – the lead ship,