Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has called upon global partners to collaborate with the nation's burgeoning shipbuilding industry, aiming to co-develop advanced maritime capabilities.

Speaking at the Samudra Utkarsh seminar organised by the Department of Defence Production, Singh described India as a vibrant, capable, and future-ready maritime power. He emphasised that such partnerships could foster sustainable technologies, resilient supply chains, and a secure maritime future worldwide.

India's shipbuilding ecosystem has matured into a comprehensive, end-to-end value chain. This network integrates public sector shipyards, dynamic private firms, and thousands of MSMEs. It handles everything from designing and constructing vessels to outfitting, refitting, repairing, and providing lifecycle support. Singh remarked that India now builds not just ships, but trust; not merely platforms, but enduring partnerships.

Key achievements underscore this progress. Flagship projects include the indigenous aircraft carrier INS Vikrant, Kalvari-class submarines, stealth frigates, and destroyers. Indian shipyards have showcased technological maturity, sophisticated automation, and world-class systems integration. The Indian Navy currently oversees 262 ongoing indigenous design and development projects, with many in advanced stages.

Several shipyards are poised to reach 100 per cent indigenous content within the decade. This milestone promises to reduce reliance on foreign supply chains and ensure uninterrupted production. Singh highlighted the sector's expansion into commercial and dual-use maritime domains, producing high-end passenger vessels, research ships, pollution-control vessels, coastal ferries, and even the world's most advanced deep-sea mining support vessel for ISRO and the National Institute of Ocean Technology.

The private sector plays a pivotal role in this growth. Companies are constructing green-fuel and LNG-powered vessels, alongside roll-on/roll-off ships and other high-efficiency platforms for domestic and international clients.

Singh asserted that Indian shipyards can deliver from aircraft carriers to advanced research vessels and energy-efficient commercial ships, positioning India as a potential global hub for shipbuilding, repair, and maritime innovation over the next decade.

Every ship under construction for the Indian Navy and Coast Guard is being built domestically. This self-reliance stems from transformative policy reforms, including the Maritime India Vision 2030, Maritime Amrit Kaal Vision 2047, Defence Production and Export Promotion Policy, and the Defence Procurement Manual 2025. These initiatives have accelerated the sector's evolution.

Indian shipyards stand as pillars of the nation's emerging Blue Economy. They produce vessels essential for marine research, environmental monitoring, fisheries management, and maritime law enforcement across India's extensive coastline and Exclusive Economic Zone. The industry is shifting towards sustainability, incorporating green technologies, hybrid propulsion, and digital shipyard systems to build climate-resilient practices.

Global demand for Indian expertise is rising. Foreign ships increasingly visit Indian yards for complex refits, signalling trust in the country's reliability, capabilities, and cost-effectiveness. Singh expressed ambitions for India to become the preferred sustenance and repair hub for the entire Indo-Pacific region.

The seminar's theme, “2500 BCE – 2025 CE: Celebrating 4,524 Years of Shipbuilding Excellence,” honours India's ancient maritime heritage. From the dockyards of Lothal in the Indus Valley Civilisation to modern facilities in Mumbai, Goa, Visakhapatnam, Kolkata, and Kochi, this legacy endures and evolves.

Secretary (Defence Production) Sanjeev Kumar reinforced these points, calling Indian shipyards “pillars of industrial strength and self-reliance.” Over the past decade, they have integrated digital tools, automation, and global best practices. India now offers an unmatched blend of capability, quality, and geographic advantage for both defence and commercial shipping needs.

PIB Press Release