KOCHI: Boat manufacturers are aplenty in the country, but what about the niche segment of high-end marine craft with an eye on the international market? The number of players might be zero. Now, though, at Njarakkal, a Kochi-based startup has set sail, eyeing the lucrative market. For Jose Babu Maliakel, founder and CEO of MKEL, boats are nothing new. He is a naval architect, and this is his second venture, which has brought out five watercraft, all ready for both the domestic and global markets.
“Well, I was already in the maritime offshore space,” Jose told TNIE. “It was office-based, with us providing engineering consulting services to clients based in Europe. We had been limited to engineering aspects. There was no manufacturing. But, after being so long in the industry, I understood the huge potential for high-end marine vessels, especially those in demand amongst the upper one to two per cent in society.”
According to him, the segment has huge potential in the state from a tourism point of view. “There are a lot of companies manufacturing boats in India. But in the premium niche segment, there are no players,” he said.
So, he founded the startup in 2025, with product development beginning in June 2025. On Saturday, veteran sailor Commander Abhilash Tomy (Retd) — the first Indian to complete a solo, non-stop and unassisted circumnavigation of the world under sail and a runner-up in the 2022 Golden Globe Race — will officially launch the company.
