India is bringing domain expertise from leading nations to ensure maritime vision 2047 goals are met according to Union Ports, Shipping, and Waterways Minister Sarbananda Sonowal. The Minister is currently leading the Indian delegation at Nor Shipping 2025 in Norway. An official statement said India will be building its first-ever Polar Research Vessel (PRV) after Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE) signed an agreement with Norway’s Kongsberg.
“Discussions have been held with countries that have expertise in maritime infrastructure development. Partnerships will be forged in line with 2047 goals,” Sonowal said over the phone from Oslo.
“Global best practices will be incorporated in domestic maritime operations,” he added.
India aims to ramp up cargo handling capacity of its ports fourfold to 10,000 million tonnes per annum (mtpa) by 2047. Among other goals, the Maritime India Vision 2047 aims for a 400% increase of inland waterway cargo volume to reach 500 MTPA by the cutoff year. Efforts are also expected towards scaling up the domestic shipbuilding industry where India currently has less than 1% of global share.
As part of the agreement between GRSE and Kongsberg, the domestic shipbuilding sector is expected to receive design expertise for developing the PRV.
“This will meet the requirement of India’s National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research (NCOPR) that will use it for research activities in the polar and Southern Ocean realms,” the statement said while adding this research vessel will be built in GRSE’s Kolkata yard.
During the conference, Sonowal invited Norwegian shipowners to invest in India. He noted that Indian shipyards currently hold 11% of the Norwegian Shipowners’ Association (NSA)’s order book.
“We invite greater collaboration with Norway to build a green, smart, and resilient maritime ecosystem,” he said while adding this partnership is reflected in Indian shipyards delivering vessels to Norwegian firms. The Minister also sought Norway’s cooperation in green shipping corridors, ship recycling, and International Maritime Organisation (IMO)-aligned net-zero goals.
