HD Hyundai has begun building strategic cooperative relations with the Indian government, which is planning to expand large-scale ship newbuilding projects.

HD Hyundai announced on Nov. 13 that Chairman Chung Ki-sun met with Indian Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri at the HD Hyundai Global R&D Center in Pangyo, Gyeonggi Province, to discuss ways to expand mutual cooperation.

The meeting was attended by key figures including Indian Ambassador to Korea Gurjit Singh, Joint Secretary of the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas Esha Srivastava, Joint Secretary of the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways Shri Lakshmanan, Chairman of Oil and Natural Gas Corp. (ONGC) Arun Kumar Singh, Chairman of Cochin Shipyard Madhu Nair, and Port Officer of Dahej Port in Gujarat State Sushil Kumar Singh, along with other CEOs of public enterprises and major officials from the shipbuilding and shipping sectors.

Under Chairman Chung’s guidance, the Indian delegation received explanations about HD Hyundai’s ship design and construction capabilities and smart shipyard operating systems, while exploring detailed cooperation plans for enhancing India’s shipbuilding capabilities, fleet expansion, and technological advancement.

HD Hyundai explained that this visit by the Indian delegation is connected to the promotion of “Maritime Amrit Kaal Vision 2047,” which the Indian government currently considers one of its core initiatives.

India has established a plan to expand its current fleet of 1,500 commercial vessels to 2,500 ships, aiming to become a top-five global shipbuilding power through self-reliance and enhanced competitiveness across the shipping, port, shipbuilding, and offshore plant industries. To achieve this goal, the Indian government plans to invest approximately $24 billion and announced support policies worth about $8 billion last month to expand new shipbuilding projects.

Earlier, HD Hyundai signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Cochin Shipyard, India’s largest state-owned shipbuilder, in July this year, agreeing to pursue cooperation in various aspects including △design and procurement support △productivity improvement △human resource capability enhancement, and recently agreed to continue cooperation in pursuing India’s 13 trillion won landing ship project.

At the meeting, Chung stated, “Based on solid trust with India, HD Hyundai will become the best partner in helping India’s shipbuilding industry development,” adding, “For sustainable growth of the shipbuilding and marine industries, HD Hyundai will continue to demonstrate global leadership.” In response, Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said, “HD Hyundai will be a very important partner in realizing India’s maritime vision,” expressing hope that “the cooperative relationship will develop more substantially through regular exchanges between the Indian government and HD Hyundai.”

Meanwhile, the Indian delegation is scheduled to visit HD Hyundai Heavy Industries’ Ulsan Shipyard on Nov. 14 to tour commercial and special vessel yards and observe shipbuilding operations.

Source:Business Korea