The Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways will soon unveil a National Shipbuilding Mission to strengthen India’s shipbuilding and repair industry, Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal announced on Friday.
Speaking at the 10th convocation of the Indian Maritime University (IMU) in Chennai, Sonowal said the move is part of a Cabinet-approved three-pronged maritime strategy focused on shipbuilding, ship recycling, and creating a globally competitive ecosystem.
“Currently, only 5 per cent of India’s export-import cargo is carried on Indian-flagged ships, forcing us to pay nearly ₹6 lakh crore annually as freight to foreign shipping companies. This scheme will help India save around ₹4.5 lakh crore per year and generate employment for 25–30 lakh people,” he said.
Sonowal added that, for the first time since Independence, the government has earmarked a record ₹70,000 crore financial outlay for maritime sector development. A revamped Shipbuilding Financial Assistance Scheme, with an allocation of ₹24,736 crore, has also been approved to offset the cost disadvantages of building ships in India, alongside incentives for shipbreaking yards.
As part of the mission, an India Ship Technology Centre (ISTC) will be set up at IMU’s Visakhapatnam campus at a cost of ₹305 crore. “The ISTC will act as a common platform for industry, research, and skilling, driving Atmanirbharta in ship technology,” Sonowal said after inaugurating the centre.
Addressing graduating students, the Minister urged them to face global challenges such as climate change, artificial intelligence, and rapid technological changes with resilience and continuous upskilling. “India’s seafarer strength has grown from 1.25 lakh a decade ago to over three lakh today, placing us among the top three suppliers of trained seafarers globally,” he noted.
Later, in a social media post, Sonowal praised IMU as a premier maritime institute and called on the youth to be ambassadors of India’s maritime strength. He also thanked Tamil Nadu Industries Minister TRB Rajaa, who attended the event.
