Our shipyards powering PM Modi's vision to make India a top shipbuilder: Minister

New Delhi, Dec 13 Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal on Saturday said India's shipyards are powering Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of making the country a top shipbuilder.

Hooghly Cochin Shipyard Limited (HCSL), the wholly-owned subsidiary of CSL, has signed a contract with Heritage River Journeys Pvt Ltd to build an 80‑passenger luxury river cruise vessel for the Brahmaputra.

Sonowal said in a post on X that, "Unstoppable momentum in Indian Shipbuilding! A significant milestone for ‘Make in India’ as HCSL signs the contract for the 2nd 80-pax luxury river cruise vessel for the Brahmaputra."

"Our shipyards are powering PM Narendra Modi's vision of making India a top shipbuilder of the world.

The government said earlier this week that the total passenger traffic recorded on National Waterways (NWs) in India has registered a close to five-fold jump -- from 1.61 crore in 2023-24 to 7.64 crore in 2024-25.

The cargo movement on national waterways nearly doubled in the last five years from 83.6 million tonnes in 20-21 to 145.84 million tonnes in 2024-25.

To promote the inland water transport sector, the Government has launched the Jalvahak scheme with an outlay of Rs 95.42 crore for a period of 3 years from FY 2024-25 to FY 2026-27.

The scheme also provides financial incentives directly to the cargo owners to the extent of 35 per cent of the total actual operating expenditure incurred on waterways journey.

In a fillip to India’s shipbuilding goal, CSL recently signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with HD Korea Shipbuilding and Offshore Engineering for a long-term strategic collaboration in shipbuilding.

The partnership seeks to combine CSL’s legacy, infrastructure, and domestic expertise with HD Korea’s advanced technology and global experience, marking a significant step in strengthening India’s shipbuilding capabilities.

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