Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW), Shri Sarbananda Sonowal visited the Cochin Shipyard as he unveiled advanced machinery to enhance shipbuilding capacity of the country. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Shri Sonowal remarked that this is a movement towards realising the vision of PM Shri Narendra Modi\u2019s \u2018Atmanirbhar Bharat\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Union Minister inaugurated the ProArc CNC Plasma Cum Oxy Fuel Plate Cutting Machine, an advanced, Industry 4.0-ready facility that will significantly enhance CSL\u2019s shipbuilding capabilities. Fully IoT-enabled, the system allows real-time monitoring, predictive maintenance, and increased production efficiency, directly aligning with the objectives of the Shipbuilding Financial Assistance Policy (SBFAP) 2.0.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Speaking on the occasion, Shri Sonowal said, \u201cThe launch of Industry 4.0-ready facilities and the Green Tug Transition Programme marks a transformative leap in India’s shipbuilding and green maritime journey. Under PM Shri Narendra Modi ji\u2019s vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat, these initiatives reinforce our commitment to innovation, sustainability, and global competitiveness in the maritime sector. The indigenous development of hybrid and electric propulsion tugs is not just a technological advancement, but a symbol of India\u2019s growing capability to lead the global green maritime movement.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Union Minister also presided over the steel cutting ceremony for two Green Tugs being developed under the Green Tug Transition Programme (GTTP), a flagship sustainability initiative by the Ministry. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
CSL is the first Indian company to undertake the construction of these hybrid and electric propulsion tugs, with a total of 16 vessels planned across major ports in India. The project is being executed in collaboration with Robert Allan Ltd., the Indian Register of Shipping, and other global experts, marking a major step in India\u2019s green maritime transition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Speaking during the visit, the Union Minister said, \u201cCochin Shipyard Limited stands as the Pride of India, a testament to our indigenous shipbuilding excellence and self-reliance. From building the iconic INS Vikrant to delivering over 175 vessels and completing more than 2,500 ship repair projects, CSL reflects the transformative vision of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi ji towards self-reliance. Under his leadership, India\u2019s maritime sector is scaling new heights \u2014 through world-class infrastructure, national expansion, and institutions like METI that are shaping the skilled maritime workforce of tomorrow.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Union Minister also reviewed the progress of the construction of India\u2019s largest Trailer Suction Hopper Dredger (12,000 cu.m), being built by CSL for the Dredging Corporation of India in partnership with IHC Holland. The dredger is a strategic national asset that will reduce dependency on foreign services while enhancing coastal access and maritime infrastructure in line with the \u2018Maritime Amritkaal Vision, 2047\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Highlighting the immense importance of human resources in the maritime sector, the Union Minister Shri Sarbananda Sonowal said, \u201cCochin Shipyard Limited\u2019s innovation-led initiatives like the USHUS Marine Startup Programme reflect the spirit of \u2018Aatmanirbhar Bharat\u2019 and PM Shri Narendra Modi ji\u2019s vision for a tech-driven maritime sector. With investments in AI, deep-tech, and renewables, these startups are fuelling job creation and maritime innovation. CSL\u2019s strong focus on skilling\u2014through partnerships with Maersk and initiatives like ASAP Kerala\u2014is building a future-ready workforce and strengthening India\u2019s global leadership in shipbuilding and marine excellence.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Union Minister\u2019s visit comes at a pivotal time, first after the Union Budget of 2025\u201326 with its transformational scope of the budget, including the \u20b925,000 crores Maritime Development Fund (MDF) expected to mobilise \u20b91.5 lakh crore in maritime investments by 2030. Other budget initiatives such as the revamped SBFAP 2.0, infrastructure status for large ships, and targeted support for shipbuilding clusters are poised to revolutionise the sector.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Shri Sonowal highlighted the importance of new policies like, Merchant Shipping Bill, 2024, the Coastal Shipping Bill, 2024 among others aimed at simplifying maritime regulations, promoting Indian-flagged vessels, ensuring environmental sustainability, and enhancing seafarer welfare. With a 46% increase in the Ministry\u2019s budget allocation and a 143% surge in R&D funding. The Minister called this a historic moment for the Indian maritime industry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The visit concluded with a renewed call to accelerate India\u2019s maritime journey\u2014driven by bold ambition, anchored in Atmanirbhar Bharat, guided by Maritime India Vision 2030, and propelled by the transformative spirit of Maritime Amritkaal.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Presides over Steel Cutting Ceremony and sets up Green Tug Transition Programme (GTTP) \u201cPM Narendra Modi ji\u2019s leadership for shipbuilding through budgetary support must be effectively utilised towards building Atmanirbhar Bharat”: Sarbananda Sonowal Union Minister reviews progress of construction of India\u2019s largest Trailer Suction Hopper Dredger (TSHD) at CSL Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":41781,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[57],"tags":[80],"post_format":[],"flags":[],"class_list":["post-41780","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-india-news","tag-india"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mavericknews30.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41780","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mavericknews30.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mavericknews30.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mavericknews30.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/10"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mavericknews30.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=41780"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/mavericknews30.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41780\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":41782,"href":"https:\/\/mavericknews30.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41780\/revisions\/41782"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mavericknews30.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/41781"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mavericknews30.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=41780"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mavericknews30.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=41780"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mavericknews30.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=41780"},{"taxonomy":"post_format","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mavericknews30.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fpost_format&post=41780"},{"taxonomy":"flags","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mavericknews30.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fflags&post=41780"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}