In 1945, a small base engineering and electrical workshop for the Royal Navy ships manned by 32 personnel was commissioned on the Willington Island along the Ernakulam Channel at Kochi. The base workshops were merged together, a primitive slipway was added and, in 1952, the Base Repair Organisation was established. With manpower increased to one hundred, this organisation undertook minor repairs and provided assistance to the ships of the Indian Navy. The demands on this facility grew steadily and, in 1973, a Yard Craft Organisation and an Apprenticeship Training School also came into being.

The pressure of new acquisitions and induction of higher technology infused comprehensive upgradation of the infrastructure of the yard. Hence, a large number of modern facilities capable of handling repairs to all classes of Indian naval ships was commissioned and the organisation was renamed as Naval Ship Repair Yard (NSRY) on August 16, 1988. Spread out over 12 acres, the yard now has about 1100 personnel in 103 trades. With the reputation of excelling in the quality of repairs and refits undertaken, the yard has the distinction of being ISO 9002 certified within a record time of six months.

The Apprentice Training School (ATS) trains about 85 apprentices in thirteen basic trades every year. The apprentices are selected on the basis of a competitive exam held at the national level. They are provided excellent quality of training and hand-on experience on a wide range of workshop machinery installed in the yard.