Kochi | September 1, 2026 | INFRAINTEL Bureau
(The Print)
Kochi-based MKEL Marine has launched five lines of domestically designed and manufactured watercraft as it seeks to reduce reliance on imported high-end boats and develop export markets.
The range, produced at the company’s Njarakkal facility, includes touring and expedition kayaks, stand-up paddle boards and surfboards, the Velor powerboat series, work boats and sailing yachts.
The craft are intended for leisure boating, eco-tourism, competitive water sports, crew and passenger transfer, diving support, marine surveys, coastal patrol, surveillance and offshore operations.
Under a non-exclusive licensing agreement with Australia-based B&G Yacht Design, MKEL plans to build and sell the ORC 33 racing sailboat and Explorer 39 blue-water cruising yacht internationally.
The company said it had invested Rs 2.5 crore and plans to raise total investment to Rs 10 crore by 2027. Its workforce targets are 35 by the end of 2026, 60 by 2027 and 100 by 2028, with Europe, the Middle East, South-East Asia and the Maldives identified as export markets.
The announcement is based on company-supplied information. Its industrial significance will depend on certification, order conversion, production scale, supplier localisation, marina infrastructure, export compliance and whether projected investment and employment materialise.