Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has called on global partners to tap into the potential of India’s growing shipbuilding industry and collaborate in developing next-generation maritime capabilities. He was speaking at Samudra Utkarsh, a seminar organised by the Department of Defence Production in New Delhi to showcase the capabilities of Indian shipyards.
The Defence Minister said that India’s shipbuilding ecosystem—powered by public sector shipyards, private companies and thousands of MSMEs—has evolved into a fully integrated framework, covering concept design, modular construction, outfitting, refit, repair and full life-cycle support. He stated that the sector is not only safeguarding India’s regional and global security interests but is also ready to co-create sustainable maritime technologies and resilient supply chains.
Highlighting flagship programmes such as the indigenous aircraft carrier INS Vikrant, Kalvari-class submarines, and stealth frigates and destroyers, Singh said these platforms reflect the technological maturity and industrial depth of Indian shipyards. He noted that Indian shipyards are also emerging as key players in the commercial maritime sector, producing high-end passenger and cargo vessels, ferries, pollution-control and research ships, LNG carriers and deep-sea mining support vessels for national and international clients.
He underlined that every ship of the Indian Navy and Indian Coast Guard currently under construction is being built in Indian shipyards, reflecting the progress of Aatmanirbhar Bharat in defence. He said sustained policy reforms such as the Maritime India Vision 2030, Maritime Amrit Kaal Vision 2047, Defence Production and Export Promotion Policy and Defence Procurement Manual 2025 have strengthened the sector.
According to the Defence Minister, the Indian Navy today has 262 ongoing indigenous design and development projects, and several shipyards are moving towards 100% indigenous content by the end of this decade. He expressed confidence that India’s commercial fleet will also be built entirely within the country in the coming years.
Describing shipyards as key pillars of India’s Blue Economy, Singh pointed out that India is increasingly adopting green and energy-efficient shipbuilding practices and emerging as a preferred destination for refits and repairs of foreign vessels. He added that Indian vessels have proved their versatility and humanitarian role during multiple relief operations, including Operation Samudra Setu, Operation Brahma and the recent medical evacuation of MV Heilan Star.
Speaking on the theme “2500 BCE – 2025 CE: Celebrating 4,524 Years of Shipbuilding Excellence,” the Defence Minister said the event represents a civilisational continuum—from the ancient docks of Lothal to the modern facilities in Mumbai, Goa, Visakhapatnam, Kolkata and Kochi.
Minister of State for Defence Sanjay Seth said Samudra Utkarsh celebrates India’s shipbuilding strength and growing technological capability. Secretary (Defence Production) Sanjeev Kumar described Indian shipyards as symbols of the country’s maritime resurgence, backed by modern digital tools, automation and global best practices.
During the programme, the Defence Minister released a coffee-table book titled “Shipyards of Bharat – Infrastructure, Capability, Outreach” along with two compendiums—Samudra Navpravartan and a 10-year AI roadmap for Indian shipyards. Senior military and government officials attended the event, and sessions were held on warship building, submarine construction and refit, unmanned systems and commercial shipbuilding and repair.