India aims to be self-reliant in shipping and shipbuilding by 2047: Sonowal
Union minister Sarbananda Sonowal said the government is building an ecosystem to help domestic shipyards win global orders as India targets a spot among the world's top five shipbuilding nations.
India aims to be self-reliant in shipping and shipbuilding by 2047, according to Union minister for ports, shipping and waterways Sarbananda Sonowal. Speaking at the third edition of Sagarmanthan: The Great Oceans Dialogue in New Delhi, Sonowal outlined plans for a self-reliant maritime ecosystem, including ports, shipping, shipbuilding, ship repair, maritime education, and skills.
The government's Maritime Amrit Kaal Vision 2047 outlines these objectives, with India targeting domestic capacity to meet its shipping requirements and reduce reliance on foreign-flagged vessels. The ambitious goal includes expanding port cargo-handling capacity to 10,000 million tonnes by 2047 and becoming one of the world's top five shipbuilding nations.
The government is investing in shipbuilding and repair infrastructure, port expansion, cargo-handling improvements, and maritime education and training to create a skilled workforce and a larger domestic shipping industry. India's maritime sector already employs the world's second-largest workforce, and the country is a major supplier of seafarers, with 323,000 Indian seafarers as of 2021.
The government has also evacuated over 4,000 Indian seafarers from the Strait of Hormuz due to security concerns.
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