Divya Agarwal
Left to Right: Abhilash Tomy NM (Retd) and Jose Babu Maliakel, Founder-CEO of MKEL
Kochi (Kerala) [India], August 31: In a bid to position Kerala as a hub for high-performance boating and composite engineering, Kochi-based watercraft specialist MKEL Marine on Saturday launched five lines of indigenously built watercraft, aiming to reduce India’s reliance on imported high-end boats while opening international markets.
The range — designed, engineered and manufactured at the company’s facility in Njarakkal to international standards — was unveiled by circumnavigator Commander Abhilash Tomy, KC, NM (Retd), the first Indian to sail solo, non-stop and unassisted around the world.
The launch marks a structural push toward indigenous maritime manufacturing, targeting eco-tourism, leisure boating, offshore support operations and competitive watersports.
The Range
1. MKEL Touring & Expedition Kayaks — hydrodynamic, ultra-light composite craft for touring, expedition paddling, eco-tourism and competitive watersports.
2. MKEL Stand-Up Paddle Boards & Surfboards — rigid composite boards in a category long dominated by imported inflatables, built for coastal and backwater conditions.
3. MKEL Velor Powerboat Series — an ocean-going powerboat platform built in impact-resistant marine composites, with applications spanning sports fishing, offshore day cruising, coastal patrol and surveillance, dive and charter operations, and resort and luxury transfers.
4. MKEL Work Boats — rugged, fuel-efficient working craft for crew transfer, diving support, passenger transport, harbour and backwater operations, and marine survey and inspection support.
5. MKEL Sailing Yachts — series-built sailing yachts under an international design partnership: the ORC 33, a 9.9-metre performance racing sailboat, and the Explorer 39, a 12-metre blue-water cruising yacht.
Strategic Tie-Up and Global Ambitions
Speaking at the launch, Founder-CEO and naval architect Jose Babu Maliakel outlined the firm’s vision for the state’s industrial footprint.
“By integrating globally benchmarked composite technology with indigenous naval design, we are laying the groundwork for a structural transformation in India’s leisure and performance maritime industry. Our mission is to evolve Kerala into Asia’s flagship hub for high-performance watercraft manufacturing and design,” Maliakel said.
To support its global reach, MKEL Marine has entered into a non-exclusive design licensing agreement with Perth-based B&G Yacht Design, founded by renowned yacht designer Roberto Barros. Under the agreement, the Kochi unit will build and sell two B&G sailing yacht designs — the ORC 33 and the Explorer 39 — worldwide, executing plug and mould construction and classification documentation in-house.
Capital Expenditure and Job Creation Roadmap
Having invested Rs 2.5 crore to date, the firm has set out a roadmap to scale infrastructure and technical capacity:
- Capital expenditure: total investment to be scaled to Rs 10 crore by 2027, directed at production moulds for the sailing yachts, powerboat and work boat lines, a larger waterside manufacturing facility, and the commencement of works on a marina and experience centre.
- Workforce: a combined team of production engineers, design engineers and composite manufacturing technicians to grow to 35 by the end of 2026, 60 by the end of 2027 and 100 by the end of 2028.
- Exports: target markets include Europe, the Middle East, South-East Asia and the Maldives.
With this rollout, MKEL Marine aims to establish Kerala as a domestic leader in advanced composite manufacturing and an emerging exporter of marine lifestyle products.
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