Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday asked international partners to work with India’s shipbuilding industry to co-develop maritime capabilities. He was speaking at Samudra Utkarsh, a seminar organised by the Department of Defence Production in New Delhi.
Singh said India aims to contribute to global maritime security by “building not only ships, but trust; not only platforms, but partnerships.”
Indigenous capacity detailed
Singh said India has built an end-to-end shipbuilding ecosystem across public and private shipyards, supported by MSMEs. He highlighted projects such as aircraft carrier INS Vikrant, Kalvari-class submarines, and various frigates and destroyers as evidence of domestic design and systems capability.
He also noted production of passenger and cargo vessels, coastal ferries, pollution-control and research ships, and a deep-sea mining support vessel for ISRO and the National Institute of Ocean Technology.
“We are capable of delivering aircraft carriers to research vessels and commercial ships. This positions India to become a hub for shipbuilding, ship repair and maritime innovation,” he said.
Singh added that every ship currently under construction for the Navy and Coast Guard is being built in Indian yards, with 262 indigenous naval projects underway.
Policy focus and global engagement
The minister said reforms such as Maritime India Vision 2030, Maritime Amrit Kaal Vision 2047 and the Defence Production and Export Promotion Policy have driven sectoral growth. He said more foreign vessels are coming to India for complex refits, adding, “We want to become the preferred sustainment and repair hub for the Indo-Pacific.”
Singh linked modern shipbuilding to India’s maritime history, and cited recent humanitarian missions—including Operation Samudra Setu and a medical evacuation by INS Vikrant—to underline the role of Indian-built ships.
At the event, the Defence Minister released a coffee-table book Shipyards of Bharat and two compendiums, including a 10-year AI roadmap for shipyards.