Reviving Shipbuilding in India | Current Affairs | Vision IAS
News Today Logo

    Reviving Shipbuilding in India

    Posted 22 Dec 2025

    2 min read

    Article Summary

    Article Summary

    India aims to boost its shipbuilding industry through financial aid, infrastructure upgrades, green initiatives, and policy measures to enhance strategic security and global competitiveness by 2047.

    Shipbuilding is known as mother of heavy engineering as it enhances national security, strategic independence, and the resilience of trade and energy supply chains.

    Current Status of Shipbuilding in India 

    • Shipbuilding industry accounts for less than 1% of the global shipping market. 
      • China has the biggest shipbuilding capacity in the world, followed by South Korea and Japan. 
      • Foreign ships carry 92% of India’s total trade and are paid $75 billion annually for it.
    • Cochin Shipyard has India’s highest capacity in shipbuilding and repairing.

    Challenges faced by Sector

    • High capital costs: Due to expensive financing options available, making large investments risky and limiting shipyards’ ability to scale.
    • Import dependence: Lack of indigenous availability of many advanced materials and components.
    • Lower productivity: Compared with China, Indian shipyards are less productive, often due to outdated technology, longer build times, Supply chain limitations, etc.

    Strengthening India’s shipbuilding sector is vital to transforming India into a global maritime and shipbuilding hub by 2047

    Key Initiatives taken to promote Shipbuilding in India 

    • Financial Assistance: Shipbuilding Financial Assistance Scheme, Maritime Development Fund. 
    • Public Procurement Preference: Ships under ₹200 crore must be procured from Indian shipyards as per the Make in India Order, 2017.
    • Infrastructure Status: Ships have been reclassified as ‘infrastructure’, making them eligible for favorable financing.
    • Haritha Nauka Guideline, Green Tug Transition Programme (GTTP): Promotes green shipbuilding and domestic manufacturing.
    • Shipbuilding Development Scheme (SbDS): Drives greenfield clusters, yard expansions, and risk coverage.
    • Other: Maritme Amritkal Vision 2047 for Shipping Sector
    • Tags :
    • Infrastructure
    • Shipbuilding
    • GS3
    • Heavy Engineering
    • 2047
    Watch News Today
    Subscribe for Premium Features