India is looking to strengthen its shipbuilding industry through greater industrial cooperation with South Korea as it aims to become one of the world’s top five shipbuilding nations by 2047. Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal began a four-day visit to South Korea on October 25 to explore opportunities for collaboration in shipbuilding, maritime manufacturing and workforce development.
The visit reflects India’s efforts to enhance domestic shipbuilding and ship repair capabilities by leveraging international partnerships, advanced technologies and specialised skills.
Sonowal began his engagements in Busan, a key hub of South Korea’s shipbuilding industry. He met Indian professionals associated with leading companies, including Samsung Heavy Industries, Hanwha Ocean and HD Hyundai, along with representatives from maritime classification societies DNV and the Indian Register of Shipping.
During the interaction, the minister highlighted the VOYAGES framework, adopted by India and South Korea in April during South Korean President Lee Jae Myung’s state visit to India. The framework aims to strengthen bilateral cooperation in shipbuilding, shipping and maritime logistics.
Sonowal emphasised the importance of translating the partnership into tangible outcomes for India’s maritime sector. Areas of potential cooperation include improving shipyard productivity, enhancing project execution, expanding technology transfer and strengthening manufacturing capabilities.
India’s ambitions are aligned with its Maritime India Vision 2030 and Maritime Amrit Kaal Vision 2047, which seek to establish the country as a stronger global maritime power. In September 2025, the Union Cabinet approved a series of policy incentives to support the development of the shipbuilding sector.
The minister stressed that achieving these targets would require a skilled workforce comprising shipbuilders, marine engineers, naval architects, designers, project managers and technology specialists. He encouraged Indian professionals working in South Korea to share their expertise with domestic companies and contribute to developing a new generation of maritime talent.
Sonowal also called for contributions to the proposed India Ship Technology Centre and the shipbuilding skills partnership with the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA). Such initiatives are expected to support technical expertise, research and training in India’s shipbuilding ecosystem.
As part of the remaining engagements, the minister is scheduled to meet leading global shipbuilding companies, maritime organisations, research institutions and think tanks to explore further avenues for cooperation.
He is also expected to participate in a ministerial roundtable in Busan marking World Maritime Day. The event will bring together representatives of major maritime nations and the secretary-general of the International Maritime Organization.
The visit underscores India’s push to deepen maritime ties with South Korea and accelerate the development of a globally competitive shipbuilding industry. Through technology cooperation, industrial partnerships and skill development, India aims to strengthen its domestic capabilities and advance its ambition of becoming a leading shipbuilding nation by 2047.