It was formally established as a Royal Navy Dockyard in 1811 and base of the East Indies Station when the Department of Admiralty in London took over it.

[1] The company created its own navy as early as 1613 and became known as the East India Marine and equipment for building ships at Bombay was sent directly from England.

The structure followed that of other Royal Navy Dockyards such as those in England where in the early 17th century the naval storekeeper and master shipwright were key posts.

[2] In 1735 by the East India Company, brought in shipwrights from their base at Surat in order to construct vessels using Malabar teak.

[6] The main Dockyard building, which fronts onto Shahid Bhagat Singh Road, dates from 1807, as does the administration block.