Cochin Shipyard Boosts ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ with Korea’s HD KSOE Partnership
Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL) has signed a significant Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering (HD KSOE), marking a key step towards self-reliance in India’s maritime sector. The MoU was formalised during the “Samudra se Samriddhi – Transforming India’s Maritime Sector” event, inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 20 September 2025 in Bhavnagar, Gujarat.
This strategic partnership aims to blend CSL’s infrastructure and domestic experience with HD KSOE’s advanced global shipbuilding technologies. It will enhance CSL’s capability to construct large vessels, including Suezmax tankers, container ships, and Capesize bulk carriers. These vessels will be built at CSL’s 310-metre dry dock, which was inaugurated by the Prime Minister in January 2024. The facility will support production of up to six large ships each year.
₹3,700 Crore Block Fabrication Facility in Kochi to Drive Employment
To support this expansion, CSL will set up a new Block Fabrication Facility (BFF) in Kochi. Spanning 80 acres, the BFF will have an annual capacity of 1,20,000 metric tonnes. The investment for this facility is expected to be around ₹3,700 crore. This project is anticipated to create around 2,000 direct jobs and potentially generate two to five times more indirect employment in sectors such as logistics, MSMEs, and supply chains.
At the signing ceremony, Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal and Minister of State Shantanu Thakur were present, along with Hyundai’s Senior Vice President Jung Changin and CSL’s CMD Madhu S. Nair.
The collaboration will also focus on joint execution of shipbuilding projects at CSL’s current facilities. Meanwhile, new business areas, including greenfield shipyards and skill development programmes, will be explored. The move supports India’s broader vision under Maritime India Vision (MIV) 2030 and Maritime Amrit Kaal Vision (MAKV) 2047.
₹15,000 Crore Shipyard Planned in Tamil Nadu to Create 10,000 Jobs
In a second MoU, CSL joined hands with Guidance Tamil Nadu, the state’s investment promotion agency. This agreement aligns with the national goal of developing regional shipbuilding clusters.
CSL is now planning a ₹15,000 crore greenfield investment to build a modern shipyard in Tamil Nadu in collaboration with a Korean partner. The project’s first phase will focus on creating about 10,000 jobs—4,000 direct and 6,000 indirect. It may also feature a ship repair facility, boosting maritime infrastructure and industrial growth in the region.
These initiatives represent a strategic push to strengthen India’s position as a leading shipbuilding nation and support the ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ initiative through global collaboration and local capacity building.
with inputs from Reuters