In 1971, a well-known shipyard “ Alcock Ashdown: which had been in business for many decades had to close its doors. The company went in liquidation leaving quite a number of its employees at the crossroads.
Two of the firms senior executives looked around them, saw an uncertain future and decided that the only way that they could go, was up. Endorsing the saying “In every adversity there is an opportunity” , they set out to carve their own destiny.
They walked out of the air-conditioned offices and into the struggle of establishing their own shipbuilding yard. The next few years brought them backbreaking work and all the problems which go with striking out on one’s own. They hired themselves out as sub-contractors to another shipyard viz. the Mazagon Dock. Before they realized they completed several vessels and in the process they gathered around themselves a nucleus of devoted men who were prepared to go all the way. In shipbuilding circles their firm built up a reputation for dependability and efficiency, which gave them the courage to setup their own shipyard, though very little was available in way of finance.
They toured the coastal areas of Maharashtra in search of a suitable piece of land. A plot of land was acquired on a waterfront nearly 50 km from mainland Mumbai. Undeterred they filled up the ground , brought in power lines from miles away and created a semblance of a shipyard. Ingenuity and adaptability helped to surmount most problems. Mangala’s performance in the last two years speaks for itself. Fourteen vessels have been built and delivered in this period. The location of the shipyard near Mumbai was very strategic. The thriving Middle East during that time was looking more and more towards the West Coast of India for its goods and services. The oil strike in Mumbai High and the neighbouring areas escalated in a steep increase in the demand for various types of vessels . The rapidly expanding fishing industry is also creating the need for more trawlers. The company was geared to satisfy all those needs.
Mangala’s dedicated team of people backed by sophisticated shipping experts and TECHNOLOGISTS which formed the hard core of the organization retained the pioneering spirit of the early days. It was this spirit and a lot of hard work which slowly but surely earned Mangala a prime position amongst the shipbuilders in this part of the world.
Other Services and Associated Companies:
Ship Repair Unit:
A separate unit was built for full afloat repairs to the ships hull , machinery and equipment. Dry Docking facilities were also arranged.
The Kalwa Factory:
A branch of the parent company which was equipped with a full range of industrial machinery. Planned as support workshop for shipyard and repair activities and also for executing general engineering and fabrication work for other parties. Plans were also laid for setting up a fibre glass boat building unit .
Mangala Bulk Carriers Ltd:
Floated as a sister concern to Mangala Engineering Works Pvt Ltd, the company owned vessels operating mainly between the Western Coast of India and the Arabian Gulf.
Mangala Fisheries Pvt Ltd:
Operated a few fishing trawlers close to the coast. Plans to build a fleet of sophisticated trawlers for deep sea fishing and a processing and packaging plant.