What Knowledge Marine & Engineering Works does

Knowledge Marine & Engineering Works Limited (KMEW) is an Indian marine infrastructure and dredging services company headquartered in Mumbai, founded in 2015 and listed on BSE (543273) and NSE. The company operates across three business segments — dredging services, port ancillary crafts, and shipbuilding — serving government agencies, port authorities, and inland waterway bodies. Disclosed customers include the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI), V.O. Chidambaranar Port Authority (VOC Port), the Green Tug Programme, and the Dredging Corporation of India, with operations spanning India, Myanmar, and Bahrain.

KMEW operates a fleet of more than 40 vessels spanning Trailing Suction Hopper Dredgers (TSHD), Cutter Suction Dredgers (CSD), Grab Dredgers, and Backhoe Dredgers, including the River Pearl 47, positioned as India's largest Indian-flag self-propelled backhoe dredger. The company has extended beyond traditional dredging into next-generation marine assets through the Green Tug Programme — a ₹652.6 crore contract for electric and hybrid tugs — and a ₹386 crore VOC Port contract for electric tug construction. A 15-acre waterfront shipyard acquired at Saphale provides captive newbuild and repair capacity, supporting both fleet renewal and third-party shipbuilding revenue.

The business model is contract- and project-based, with revenue derived primarily from government and public-sector tenders for dredging operations, vessel charter, and shipbuilding. Management reports an order book of approximately ₹1,633 crore against a bid pipeline of ~₹3,000 crore, 100% fleet utilization, and a ~50% bid-win rate in dredging. Subsidiaries cover shipbuilding (KSPL), joint ventures, and overseas entities including Knowledge Marine Co. W.L.L. in Bahrain. Reported FY26 revenue is approximately ₹597–632 crore with net margins around 30.7%, and management is publicly targeting revenue above ₹1,000 crore within three years.

Name

Knowledge Marine & Engineering Works

Legal name

Knowledge Marine & Engineering Works Ltd

Website

https://kmew.in

Company type

Public

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Knowledge Marine & Engineering Works (KMEW) is an Indian marine infrastructure company providing dredging services, port ancillary craft, and shipbuilding to government agencies, port authorities, and inland waterway bodies across India and select overseas markets.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Marine Dredging & Port Services

NAICS

Ship Building and Repairing (336611), Ship and Boat Building (33661), Boat Building (336612)

SIC

Ship & Boat Building & Repairing (3730), Water Transportation (4400)

akta.pro primary industry

Dredging & Channel Deepening (Capital & Maintenance) (IMAFAJAB)

Keywords

• Marine dredging services
• Port ancillary crafts
• Shipbuilding and repair
• Vessel chartering services
• Harbour infrastructure services

Headquarters

HQ city

Mumbai

HQ country

India

HQ region

Asia

Offices14 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Dredging Services: Capital and maintenance dredging of major and minor ports, capital dredging in fishing harbours, dredging and de-silitation of rivers. Revenue recognized upon project completion against contracts with port authorities.
2. Vessel Chartering and Operations: Owning, operating and chartering of port ancillary crafts including survey boats, pilot boats, patrol boats, mooring boats, service boats, tug boats, and work boats. Multi-year charter contracts with port authorities.
3. Shipbuilding and Repair: Building ships and boats, repair and refit services of marine crafts. Entry into commercial shipbuilding with focus on 14-16 vessels annually at developing shipyards. First external commercial shipbuilding contract secured.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Knowledge Marine & Engineering Works Limited (KMEW) is engaged in dredging (capital and maintenance dredging of major and minor ports, fishing harbours, and rivers), owning, operating, and chartering of port ancillary crafts (survey boats, pilot boats, patrol boats, tugs, mooring boats, work boats), and shipbuilding and repair of marine vessels through subsidiary Knowledge Shipyard Private Limited. The company delivers these services through a fleet of 40+ dredgers and port crafts across India, Myanmar, and Bahrain.

Product overview

Knowledge Marine & Engineering Works Limited (KMEW) is a maritime services company offering an integrated portfolio of dredging and marine vessel services. The core offerings include: (1) Dredging Services — capital and maintenance dredging of ports, fishing harbours, and rivers using a fleet of Trailing Suction Hopper Dredgers (River Pearl 4, 8, 18), Cutter Suction Dredgers (CSD 500 and CSD 400 series), Grab Dredger (River Pearl 2), and Backhoe Dredgers including the recently commissioned River Pearl 47; (2) Port Ancillary Crafts — chartering and operation of survey boats, pilot boats, speed patrol boats, mooring boats, service/tug boats, work boats, and green tugs; (3) Ship Building and Repair — construction and maintenance of marine vessels through subsidiary Knowledge Shipyard Private Limited, including the recent launch of 10 Hybrid Electric Passenger Ferries under IWAI contract and Electric Tug for VOC Port Authority. The company operates across India, Myanmar, and Bahrain with a fleet of 40+ vessels.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Dredging Services Capital and maintenance dredging of major and minor ports, capital dredging in fishing harbours, and dredging and de-siltation of rivers; delivered through Trailing Suction Hopper Dredgers, Cutter Suction Dredgers, Grab Dredgers, and Backhoe Dredgers for Indian port authorities, IWAI, and international port clients.
• Port Ancillary Crafts Chartering Owning, operating and chartering of port ancillary crafts including survey boats, pilot boats, speed patrol boats, mooring boats, service boats, tug boats, work boats, and green tugs under multi-year contracts with Indian port authorities.
• Ship Building and Repair Services Building ships and boats, plus repair and refit services of marine crafts, delivered through wholly-owned subsidiary Knowledge Shipyard Private Limited (KSPL) at the Saphale, Palghar shipyard.
• Green Tug Environmentally sustainable electric/hybrid green tug for port operations supporting India's green maritime initiatives and emission reduction goals. Backed by ₹652.6 crore Green Tug contract with 15-year revenue visibility.
• Hybrid Electric Passenger Ferries 10 hybrid electric passenger ferries with 20-passenger capacity each, being constructed under ₹66.11 crore IWAI contract through consortium with Knowledge Shipyard; includes 60-month maintenance commitment and marks KMEW's first external commercial shipbuilding contract.
• River Pearl 47 Backhoe Dredger Services India's largest and deepest Indian-flag self-propelled backhoe dredger equipped with Japanese-built Komatsu PC 2000 excavator, achieving dredging depths from 4 to 30 meters below water level. Commissioned at JNPA for dredging operations including drilling, controlled blasting, and removal of approximately 10,500 cubic meters of hard rock.
• Cutter Suction Dredger Fleet Services Cutter suction dredgers including River Pearl 19, 20, 31, 32 (CSD 500 series) and River Pearl 23, 24, 33, 41, 42 (CSD 400 series) deployed for precision dredging operations across Indian port contracts.
• Trailing Suction Hopper Dredger Fleet Services Trailing Suction Hopper Dredgers including River Pearl 4 (76m, 1520 GT), River Pearl 8 (69.94m, 2326 GT), and River Pearl 18 (80m, 1739 GT) deployed for capital and maintenance dredging of major and minor Indian ports.
• Speed Patrol Boats Chartering High-speed patrol boats including River Pearl 9 (15 knots), River Pearl 5/14/36 (20 knots), River Pearl 37 (25 knots), and VIP Cum Security Launch (20 knots) deployed under five-year contract from New Mangalore Port Authority for security patrolling and monitoring port waters.
• Survey Boats Chartering Survey vessels including River Pearl 1 (24.5m, 113 GT), River Pearl 34 (13.10m, 24 GT, 14.5 knots), and River Pearl 35 for hydrographic survey and port operations under multi-year port authority contracts.
• Service cum Tug Boats Chartering Tug boats including River Pearl 10 (10 Ton Bollard Pull), River Pearl 15 (15 Ton Bollard Pull), and River Pearl 27/28/29 (10 Ton Bollard Pull) deployed for port operations, vessel maneuvering, and service support at Indian ports.

Quantifiable outcome

• Order book of ₹1,633 crore with ₹3,000 crore bid pipeline and 100% fleet utilization
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers13 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.

• Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 June 2026Consortium of KMEW and Knowledge Shipyard won ₹66.11 crore contract to design, construct, supply, test, and commission 10 hybrid electric passenger ferries (20-passenger capacity each) with 10-month execution and 60-month maintenance. Marks KMEW's entry into green shipbuilding segment.
• Knowledge Shipyard Private Limited (KSPL)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSubsidiary company engaged in ship building, ship repairing and refitting. Formerly known as Kamal Marine & Engineering Works Private Limited. Consolidated entity enables vertical integration in vessel construction. Jointly won ₹66.11 crore IWAI contract for hybrid electric ferries.
• Dredging Corporation of India (DCI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDCI awards dredging contracts where KMEW deploys its fleet. KMEW commissioned India's largest self-propelled backhoe dredger 'River Pearl 47' at JNPA under DCI contract. Strategic relationship in national dredging ecosystem.

Scale indicators14 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Mercator Limited: Indian listed company historically active in dredging, shipping and offshore services; KMEW's CEO built a ₹600 crore orderbook at Mercator before founding KMEW, making it a directly comparable legacy player.
• Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders: Premier Indian defense and commercial shipbuilding PSU; competes in vessel construction and refit with KMEW's KSPL, particularly for government and port authority vessel contracts.
• Cochin Shipyard: Public-sector Indian shipbuilder focused on commercial and defense vessels; competes with KMEW's KSPL subsidiary for shipbuilding contracts and shares the same government customer base.
• Dredging Corporation of India: Government of India-owned dredging company and KMEW's most direct competitor; both bid for capital and maintenance dredging contracts across major Indian ports, and KMEW already executes contracts awarded by DCI.

Broad incumbents

• Great Eastern Shipping: India's largest private-sector shipping company with offshore and marine service adjacencies; overlaps with KMEW's vessel ownership, chartering, and broader marine operations.
• JSW Infrastructure: Indian port operator under the JSW Group; an emerging broad incumbent with in-house marine service capabilities that could compete for port ancillary contracts where KMEW operates.
• Larsen & Toubro (L&T Shipbuilding): Diversified engineering and construction major with a shipbuilding arm; competes broadly with KMEW in marine infrastructure and shipbuilding; KMEW's CEO previously led a 150-person team at L&T Shipbuilding.
• Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone: India's largest port operator with in-house dredging and marine services; broader mandate includes port operations, SEZ development, and logistics, while KMEW's CEO previously led dredging orderbook at APSEZ.
• Shipping Corporation of India: Government-owned shipping major with fleet ownership and chartering operations; competes with KMEW in marine transportation services and could expand into dredging and ancillary craft.

Regional players

• Royal Boskalis Westminster: Global dredging and marine services giant; not directly competing in India today but represents the strategic benchmark for capital dredging capability and the source of competitive risk if it expands Indian presence.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kmew-group

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 records

Subsidiaries6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Knowledge Marine & Engineering Works