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  • On February 26, the online conference "Prospects for the development of Russian-Indian cooperation in shipbuilding" took place
  • 2021 March 1 13:51

    On February 26, the online conference "Prospects for the development of Russian-Indian cooperation in shipbuilding" took place

    The event was hosted by NEVA-International LLC with the support of the Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation, Confederation of Indian Industry, Department of Trade at the Embassy of India in the Russian Federation, Trade Mission of Russia in India and the Center of Small-Craft and Small-Tonnage Shipbuilding "RUSBOATS".

    At the first session, the experts presented the key trends in the shipbuilding market of the two countries and assessed the prospects for strengthening business ties. "Russia and India are long-standing strategic partners, and cooperation in the field of shipbuilding has great potential," said Alexander Shchegolev, Deputy Trade Representative of Russia in India. "The initiatives implemented by the Government of India, including the Maritime Vision 2030, provide a powerful impetus for our cooperation to reach a new level."

    Russia has considerable experience in the construction of mixed-class vessels, river fleets, high-speed passenger vessels and other types of craft, as well as auxiliary specialized watercraft. According to Alexander Shchegolev, over the past two years, there has been an active dialogue in the field of cooperation, and more and more Russian companies are showing interest in foreign partnerships. Among the main areas of cooperation are the creation of joint ventures and service companies, technology transfer, increased sales of finished products, leasing, provision of comprehensive services, infrastructure projects and research work. The Trade Mission is ready to support the enterprises of both countries in order to achieve a real breakthrough.

    Asim Vohra, Head of the Trade and Economic Department of the Embassy of India in Russia, noted that India has identified about 60 development priorities, and one of them concerns cooperation with Russian companies, in particular with USC.

    Commodore Mukesh Bhargava, Chairman of the Western Branch of the Confederation of Indian Industry, considers civil shipbuilding to be one of the most promising sectors for cooperation. "India is well located at the intersection of different water routes, and now there is a potential for increasing the volume of cargo transportation. India and Russia are developing international transport corridors together, and this work is very important," said Mukesh Bhargava. "For example, at the Eastern Economic Forum in 2019, an agreement was signed on the creation of a sea link between Vladivostok and the Indian city of Chennai. We believe it is important to combine the competencies that our countries have." India is implementing a program for the development of the shipbuilding industry, it also adopts customized industry solutions, expands the scope of application of digital technologies, optimizes the services, removes the barriers and reduces import duties on components.

    Rohinton Inhinir, Member of the Board of the Council for Export Promotion of Engineering Companies in India, told his colleagues about the implementation of the largest initiative "Make in India". The emphasis is on the nationalization of production, while using a cluster approach. "Russia and India are the gateway to the growing markets of the CIS and Southeast Asia with a huge potential for increasing trade, most of which falls on waterways," he said. "We are on the verge of important changes, so it is extremely important for us to have a strategic partnership with Russia."

    The second session of the online conference was dedicated to technology partnership and innovation transfer. Anastasia Kobzeva, Head of the Center of Small-Craft and Small-Tonnage Shipbuilding "RUSBOATS", presented an overview of the state of Russia's inland waterways and the production potential of the shipbuilding industry. There are more than 860 specialized enterprises operating in Russia, and about 1,500 innovative projects are under development. "The real pride of our country is the unique nuclear icebreaker fleet, the most powerful in the world," she stressed. "In the segment of river transport, hovercraft deserve special attention. Their popularity is associated with a short period of navigation in many regions. Also, of great export interest is the high-speed passenger fleet on hydrofoils, which Alekseev's Design Bureau specializes in. In general, many Russian companies are highly dependent on government contracts, and are very interested in promoting their products abroad. So far, the import of components is about four times higher than the volume of exports of finished products, but the dynamics are positive."

    According to Alexey Volkov, Deputy General Director of Global Trade Marine, due to the sanction restrictions, Russia has refocused on other countries that are ready to supply ship equipment, primarily South Korea and India. As a wish to the Indian partners, he mentioned reduction in the delivery time.

    Andrey Nagumo, Head of the Strategic Development Department of the Krylov State Research Center, spoke about the specifics and role of preliminary design and modeling. "At this stage, you can significantly reduce the overall cost of the project, since the cost of the error is small," the expert explained. "The research center has pools where the propulsion systems of ships are tested, and various operational scenarios are simulated. Currently, the ratio of physical modeling to computer modeling is 95% to 5%, but this ratio will change over time. In the future, it is planned to reach 20% of physical modeling and 80% of computer modeling. All data will be stored in digital archives."

    At the third session, the participants discussed the possibilities of export-import cooperation. Andrey Smirnov, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Kostroma Shipbuilding Plant, presented a model range of shallow-water boats. The company produces more than 55 models with a length of 4 to 22 meters and a draft of 450-550 mm, which allows you to operate boats in shallow water and marine debris. A strong competitive advantage of these boats is the reliable water jet propellers with a capacity of 200 to 450 hp. The plant's product line includes passenger and cargo boats, oil skimmers, refrigerated trucks, tugs, etc. At the request of the customer, the company can change the characteristics and layout, as well as design a completely new boat.

    Mikhail Timofeev, Deputy Director of Morsvyazavtomatika, presented eco-cruise catamarans. In 2020, the first Russian serial electric vessel "Ekovolt" was created. It can reach a speed of about 8 knots, carry up to 80 passengers and operate for up to 16 hours without recharging. The multifunctional platform can be transformed into a medical and bunker vessel, or into a small ferry. The fast-acting station allows charging the catamaran in 1 hour. Now they are being run-in on the Neva.

    Also, the conference participants were presented with the product line of the Izhevsk enterprise "GTI-Design Bureau": shipdriver's chairs, deck chairs and other types of chairs.

    Indian companies explained which imported products they are interested in. In particular, Indigo seaways PPt, which is engaged in ferry transportation, would like to receive commercial offers from Russian companies for the supply of cargo and passenger ferries with a capacity of about 60 trucks and 400-500 passengers, as well as high-speed vessels that develop a speed of 21 knots and have a maximum draft of 6 meters. Another Indian carrier, Mohmarinetransport, focuses on speedboats and hovercrafts, which it is ready to purchase from Russian partners.

    In addition, the Indian side was represented by the heads of Goa Shipyard, Larsen & Toubro Limited and Cochin Shipyard. All of them expressed their readiness to cooperate with Russian business.

    Сonference materials here

    The event is included in the program of international maritime online conferences, which are held from November 2020 to May 2021 by Neva-International LLC, the organizer of the NEVA exhibition and conference, in cooperation with industry unions and associations and with the support of the Ministry of Industry and Trade and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia. Find the schedule here