The Naval Dockyard Bombay celebrates its 250th Anniversary on 11 January 1986. From its humble beginning in 1736 from designing and building small crafts, it has developed into a mammoth organisation for repair of the most sophisticated Indian Naval Warships. The Dockyard has become a symbol of rapid progress and technological advancement from repair and building of wooden hulls in 1736 to the repair and servicing of the most sophisticated and advanced electronic gadgets of today. It is the most modern of the Naval Dockyards in South Asia today.

The Dockyard commenced functioning on 11 January, 1736, on 120 acres of land sandwitched between the Gateway of India and the Ballard Pier at the enterance of the channel, a purely indiginous enterprise of the Wadia Brothers as a composite unit for designing and building of ships. However the Bombay and Duncan Docks were commissioned in 1758 and 1857, respectively.

The Docks prided themselves for having built 170 war vessels for East India Company, 87 Merchants Ships and 34 War Ships for the Royal Navy, and won World acclaim for excellent workmanship of the vessels. It is nostalgic that the oldest ship afloat in the Royal Navy today 'HMS Foudroyant 46 guns', a 1065 tons frigate has been built and launched from these docks in October 1817. The docks changed its function from ship building to repairs with the take over by the British Navy from the Wadias, and subsequently by the Roayal Indian Navy in 1947 and Indian Navy in 1950.

The tradition and culture of excellence continues, a 14000 workforce from a cross section of engineering disciplines pour in their skills, not only to maintain and meet the multifarious and complex needs and demands of our Navy but also at times that of the ships of Ethiopia, Egypt, Malaysia and Sri Lankan Navies.

The Department of Posts is privileged to issue a stamp on this occasion.

Source : Information Folder issued by Indian Posts & Telegraph Department, Government of India