Founded as the Scindia Shipyard, it was built by industrialist Walchand Hirachand as a part of The Scindia Steam Navigation Company Ltd.[3] Walchand selected Visakhapatnam[4] as a strategic and ideal location and took possession of land in November 1940.[5] The World War II was going on and in April 1941, the Japanese bombed the town.[5] However, Walchand was unfettered and decided to go ahead with his plan of building a shipbuilding industry in India.[5] In the days when it was unthinkable of foundation ceremony to be done by anyone other than British officials, the truly patriotic Walchand decided to break the tradition and the foundation stone for the shipyard was laid by Dr. Rajendra Prasad on 21 June 1941, who was acting Congress President at that time.[5][6] The first ship to be constructed fully in India after independence was built at the Scindia Shipyard and named Jal Usha.