How is Samsung Heavy Industries Enhancing Shipbuilding in India?

Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- Samsung Heavy Industries partners with Swan Defence for shipbuilding.
- Significant investment in India's maritime sector is anticipated.
- India aims to become a leading global player in shipbuilding.
- Strategic initiatives are underway to enhance local shipbuilding capabilities.
- Government support is critical for the transformation of the maritime ecosystem.
Seoul/New Delhi, Sep 29 (NationPress) - On Monday, Samsung Heavy Industries announced a strategic alliance with Swan Defence and Heavy Industries in India, focusing on shipbuilding and offshore engineering. This partnership, formalized through a memorandum of understanding (MOU), aims to foster collaboration in engineering, procurement, and management for shipbuilding and offshore projects, according to reports from the Yonhap news agency.
Swan Defence and Heavy Industries operates the largest dry dock in India, which has the capacity to construct very large crude carriers (VLCCs).
Samsung Heavy expressed that this collaboration is a strategic move to establish a presence in India, with aspirations for gradual business expansion.
This agreement aligns with Samsung Heavy's recent initiative to enhance its global network, a strategy that began with a partnership with the Vigor Marine Group in the USA last August.
Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Sarbananda Sonowal, highlighted India's ambition to invest approximately Rs 1.82 lakh crore in the shipbuilding and maritime sector, positioning the nation to become one of the world's leading maritime nations.
The financial backing will support shipbuilders in constructing vessels of all sizes, bolstering the country's readiness for future demands, as stated by the minister.
Sonowal emphasized the government's objective to rank India among the global top five in shipbuilding by developing an ecosystem from the ground up. He credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision over the past 11 years for transforming shipping into a critical infrastructure component.
The shipbuilding sector in India is undergoing significant changes, propelled by the government's initiatives under Prime Minister Modi to create a world-class maritime ecosystem.
In accordance with the Maritime India Vision 2030 and the comprehensive strategic roadmap of Amrit Kaal, the Union Budget 2025 has introduced a series of reforms and investments aimed at vastly improving the capacity and competitiveness of Indian shipyards.