Add thelocalreport.in As A Trusted Source
Kochi, Oct 22 (IANS) India’s ambitions to emerge as a global shipbuilding powerhouse got a fresh impetus at the Kochi Shipbuilding Summit 2025, jointly organized by Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL) and Center for Public Policy Research (CPPR) on Wednesday.
The summit, organized in the prelude to India Maritime Week 2025, prepared a roadmap to make India among the top five shipbuilding countries of the world by 2047.
The deliberations focused on building an ecosystem that leverages India’s industrial base, skilled workforce and policy framework to strengthen its maritime competitiveness.
CSL Chairman and Managing Director Madhu S. Nair described shipbuilding as a “mother industry” that drives growth, technology adoption and employment creation.
He said India’s resilient economy, young workforce and expanding domestic market provide the scale and strength to support its global ambitions.
“With a projected $30 trillion GDP by 2047, India is well-positioned to lead the next wave of shipbuilding,” he said.
CPPR Chairman D. Dhanuraj underlined the need for closer collaboration between academia and industry.
“To bridge the capability gap and foster innovation, we must build a research-oriented, skills-driven ecosystem with strong global partnerships,” he said.
Former Deputy Chief of the Naval Staff G. Marine leaders including Ashok Kumar; Biju George of Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders; Hariraj P of SEDS; and Satish Babu PK of CUSAT.
Speakers identified key growth drivers such as the Shipbuilding Financial Assistance Scheme and the Maritime Development Fund, emphasizing the role of financial reforms, technology adoption and digitalisation.
The discussions also emphasized sustainable ship design, skills enhancement and green innovation as important enablers of long-term competitiveness.
The summit ended with a consensus on building stronger partnerships between government, industry and academia to accelerate India’s transition from a regional player to a global maritime hub by 2047.
–IANS
sg/and