GRSE's 'Hockey for Her' CSR Initiative Scores a Winning Goal at CSR Times Award 2026
Kolkata (28 Aug, 2026): Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers Ltd. (GRSE), a Navratna DPSU under the administrative control of the Ministry of Defence, Government of India has been conferred the ‘CSR Times Award 2026’ for its CSR initiative ‘Hockey for Her’ at the 13th National CSR & ESG Summit & Awards 2026 held at Le Meridien, New Delhi. The award recognised GRSE's commitment towards empowering underprivileged tribal adolescent girls through sports and promoting inclusive community development.
The recognition is a testament to GRSE's continued commitment towards implementing impactful Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives for socio-economic development. Implemented in partnership with the NGO Child Rights & You (CRY), 'Hockey for Her' is aimed at empowering underprivileged tribal adolescent girls in the Khunti district of Jharkhand through structured sports development. The initiative provides professional hockey training, sports kits, nutritional support, periodic medical check-ups and life-skills development to the participants. Currently benefitting over 100 young athletes, the programme has enabled several participants to compete in district-level championships and secure selection to the Khunti Hockey Federation and the Centre of Excellence (CoE), Khunti, thereby facilitating their progression to higher levels of competitive sport while supporting their overall development.
Organised by CSR Times, the 13th National CSR & ESG Summit & Awards 2026, themed "Role of Responsible Businesses for Inclusive Bharat," brought together policymakers, industry leaders, CSR professionals and corporate representatives to deliberate on the role of responsible businesses in advancing inclusive and sustainable development. The summit recognised organisations for their exemplary contributions in the areas of Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) practices.
About GRSE:
The journey of Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers Ltd., a Navratna Public Sector Undertaking, under the administrative control of Ministry of Defence, dates back to 1884 when it started its journey as a small workshop to repair vessels of River Steam Navigation Company. The Company was taken over by the Government of India in 1960. GRSE has the distinction of becoming the first shipyard of independent India to build a warship for Indian Navy, the Seaward Defence Boat (SDB) INS Ajay, way back in 1961. GRSE also built the first ever Indian Export Warship “CGS Barracuda” for Govt. of Mauritius, a Fast Patrol Vessel “SCG PS Zoroaster” for Seychelles and an Ocean-Going Cargo & Passenger Ferry Vessel “MV Ma Lisha” for Cooperative Republic of Guyana. GRSE is the only Indian Shipbuilder to have four distinct shipyards as a unique infrastructure advantage. GRSE has built over 800 platforms, including 118 warships for Indian Navy, Indian Coast Guard, and friendly foreign countries - highest number of warships built & delivered by any Indian shipyard till date. From Frigates, Corvettes, Fleet Tankers, Landing Ship Tank, Landing Craft Utility to Survey Vessels, Offshore Patrol Vessels and Fast Attack Craft - the repertoire is rich and varied. In addition to shipbuilding & ship repair, GRSE has also diversified into engineering business with a product profile of pre-fabricated steel bridges, various deck machinery items and assembly, testing & overhauling of marine diesel engines and the manufacture of 30mm Naval Surface Guns. Noteworthy accolades include Defence Minister’s Award 2025 for Excellence in Financial Performance, Defence Minister’s Award 2022 in Designing the most silent ship for Indian Navy for ASW operation, Defence Minister’s Award of Excellence for In-house Design Effort for Offshore Patrol Vessel for Government of Mauritius, CGS Barracuda, Best Performing Defence Shipyard of India for Four Years in a row. GRSE embraced infrastructure modernization over past decades and can undertake concurrent construction of 28 ships at a time. A strong team of highly skilled design engineers and state-of-the-art Next Generation VR Lab & latest software aid in the in-house design capabilities. With proven credentials, the shipyard is on a growth path, reaffirming its motto “In Pursuit of Excellence and Quality in Shipbuilding.