India invites global partners to co-develop next-gen maritime capabilities

New Delhi, November 25. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has called on international partners to leverage India’s expanding shipbuilding capabilities and collaborate in developing cutting-edge maritime technologies. He said such cooperation would strengthen global supply chains and contribute to a more secure and sustainable maritime future.

Delivering the keynote address at Samudra Utkarsh, a shipbuilding seminar organised by the Department of Defence Production in New Delhi on November 25, Singh said India was ready to play a defining role in the “maritime century” by building “not only ships, but trust” and “not only platforms, but partnerships”.

He asserted that India’s shipbuilding ecosystem – driven by both major public shipyards and a rising private sector – now boasts an end-to-end capability including concept design, modular construction, outfitting, refit and repairs, and life-cycle support. Thousands of MSMEs form a strong value chain supporting advanced systems, he noted.

Singh cited major indigenous achievements such as INS Vikrant, the Kalvari-class submarines, and advanced frigates and destroyers as proof of India’s maturing industrial strength and systems integration prowess.

Beyond defence platforms, he said Indian shipyards were delivering high-end commercial and dual-use vessels – from passenger and cargo ships to coastal ferries, research platforms, pollution-control vessels and a deep-sea mining support ship built for the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the National Institute of Ocean Technology. Private yards, he added, were emerging as “force multipliers” with capabilities in green-fuel vessels, LNG carriers, and Ro-Ro ships.

“With the capacity to deliver everything from aircraft carriers to energy-efficient commercial ships, India is well-positioned to become a global hub for shipbuilding, ship repair and maritime innovation in the coming decade,” the Minister said.

Singh pointed out that every Indian Navy and Coast Guard ship currently under construction is being built in domestic shipyards – a key milestone in the government’s ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ (Self-Reliant India) vision. Policies such as the Defence Production and Export Promotion Policy, Maritime India Vision 2030 and Maritime Amrit Kaal Vision 2047, he said, are accelerating this transformation.

India’s domestic naval programmes include 262 ongoing design and development projects with rising indigenous content – some approaching 100 percent, reducing vulnerability to external supply chain disruptions, the Minister stated.

He also highlighted advancements supporting India’s Blue Economy, with specialised ships enabling marine research, environment monitoring, sustainable fisheries and coastal security. The shift toward climate-resilient and energy-efficient technologies was placing India at the forefront of sustainable shipbuilding, he said.

Recalling humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR) missions involving Indian ships – including Operation Samudra Setu, Operation Brahma in Myanmar this year, and a recent evacuation by INS Vikrant – Singh said Indian-made platforms protect borders while strengthening global maritime stability.

The growing number of foreign vessels seeking complex refits in India demonstrated international confidence in Indian shipyards’ reliability and competitiveness, he added.

“We want to become the preferred sustainment and repair hub for the Indo-Pacific.”

Reflecting on the seminar’s theme – “2500 BCE – 2025 CE: Celebrating 4,524 Years of Shipbuilding Excellence” – Singh traced the country’s maritime heritage from the ancient dockyards of Lothal to modern facilities in Mumbai, Goa, Visakhapatnam, Kolkata and Kochi.

Minister of State for Defence Sanjay Seth said India’s shipbuilding sector had expanded significantly under the Modi government, while stressing the need for continued innovation, skills development and export competitiveness. Defence Production Secretary Sanjeev Kumar described modernised shipyards as symbols of India’s “maritime resurgence”.

During the event, the Defence Minister released a coffee-table book titled Shipyards of Bharat along with compendiums on innovation and AI adoption in shipyards. He also visited industry exhibition stalls along with senior naval and defence officials.

Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan and Navy Chief Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi were among those present.