Union Minister of State for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Shantanu Thakur said on Monday that India has set a target of securing 5 per cent of the global shipbuilding market by 2030. He added that the plan includes the development of 10 world-class shipyards with the support of public-private partnerships and international collaborations.
Speaking via video conference at the CII Conference in Goa on “India’s Shipbuilding Roadmap towards Maritime Amrit Kal Vision 2047,” Thakur said India is moving towards becoming a global hub for sustainable shipbuilding, supported by policy reforms, technological innovation and collaboration between industry and government.
“Shipbuilding is more than just an industry – it is a symbol of national strength and self-reliance. Our vision is to make India not just a participant, but a leader in sustainable shipbuilding, contributing to green growth, blue economy, and Atmanirbhar Bharat,” Thakur said. He described the government’s shipyard modernisation programme as “ambitious yet achievable” and noted that strategic investments are being made in automation, digital twin technology and green shipbuilding innovations.
The minister also said the government plans to establish a national container shipping line by 2030 and to reach 50 per cent domestic production of container vessels by 2035. He added that the Maritime Development Fund is providing financing for shipyard modernisation, green shipbuilding research and public-private partnerships.
Thakur highlighted that inland waterway cargo movement has grown by more than 320 per cent since 2014, helping to reduce logistics costs and promote eco-friendly transport. He linked this growth to India’s $2 trillion export target by 2030 and the net-zero emissions goal for 2070.
According to Thakur, government efforts include port modernisation projects at Deendayal Port in Kandla, development reviews in Kolkata and the island territories, and the strengthening of multimodal logistics under the PM Gati Shakti programme.
He said innovation is being supported through startups, hackathons and research into electric propulsion, carbon capture technologies and automation in shipbuilding.
By 2047, at least 30 per cent of India’s shipping fleet is planned to be powered by clean fuels such as LNG, methanol and hydrogen, with dedicated green shipping corridors and inland green vessels.
A National Shipbuilding Policy is being prepared, which will streamline regulations, extend tax incentives, provide a 10-year roadmap for growth and support training of 50,000 workers by 2030.
The policy will also focus on R&D for autonomous and green vessels.
Thakur noted that shipbuilding hubs in Gujarat, Kerala and Andhra Pradesh will be integrated with rail and road networks by 2030 to improve raw material supply and efficiency. He also referred to the Sagarmala programme, under which 150 projects are expected to be completed this year, including green shipping corridors and container shipping capacity initiatives.
Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) is the Confederation of Indian Industry is a non-government, industry-led and industry-managed organisation established in 1895. It functions as a policy advocacy group and a platform for collaboration between business and government in India.