Tamil Nadu Government Delegation from India Visits HD Hyundai Heavy Industries in Ulsan

Pushing Forward with New Shipyard Construction... Assessing Production Capabilities
Aligned with India's 'Maritime Vision 2047' Strategy

A delegation from the government of Tamil Nadu, India, which is working with HD Hyundai to establish a new shipyard, visited the Ulsan shipyard of HD Hyundai Heavy Industries. With the Indian government's strategy to strengthen its shipbuilding and shipping industries, there is growing consensus that Korea-India shipbuilding cooperation is entering a more concrete phase.

On the 8th, HD Hyundai announced that T.R.B Rajaa, Minister of Industry for Tamil Nadu, and Gaurav Daga, Executive Director of Tamil Nadu Guidance Bureau, along with three other officials, visited the Ulsan shipyard of HD Hyundai Heavy Industries. The delegation toured both the commercial and special shipyards, observed the actual shipbuilding process, and examined the shipyard's overall operations, including automated facilities and advanced production systems.

Choi Hannae, Head of Planning Division at HD Hyundai Heavy Industries (first from the left), and T.R.B Rajaa, Minister of Industry of Tamil Nadu, India (second from the left), visited Ulsan HD Hyundai Heavy Industries on the 8th to tour the shipyard and observe the actual shipbuilding site. HD Hyundai

This visit follows the "exclusive business agreement for the construction of a new shipyard" signed between HD Hyundai and the Tamil Nadu government in December of last year. At that time, both parties agreed to discuss the transfer of technical and operational capabilities and mid- to long-term cooperation plans, based on the premise of establishing a new shipyard in India.

The Indian government is currently fostering the shipbuilding and shipping industries as key pillars of national growth under its "Maritime Amrit Kaal Vision 2047." As part of this initiative, the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways has selected Tamil Nadu as one of five candidate sites for a shipbuilding cluster and is considering the possibility of constructing a new shipyard there.

Minister Rajaa stated, "Cooperation with HD Hyundai, the world's leading shipbuilder, will lay the foundation for India's shipbuilding ecosystem and create high-quality jobs," adding, "Tamil Nadu will play a central role in the revival of India's shipbuilding industry and in expanding bilateral cooperation between the two countries."

Choi Hannae, Head of Planning Division at HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering, commented, "This visit to Korea demonstrates the Indian government's strong commitment to fostering the shipbuilding industry," and added, "Strengthening cooperation with India in the shipbuilding and offshore sectors will serve as a catalyst for market expansion and long-term growth."

HD Hyundai is accelerating its efforts to enter the Indian shipbuilding and offshore market. In July of last year, the company signed an agreement with Cochin Shipyard, India's largest state-owned shipbuilder, focusing on design, procurement support, productivity improvement, and human resource development. More recently, the scope of cooperation has been expanded to include naval vessels. HD Hyundai has also broadened its collaboration to the wider Indian industrial ecosystem, signing a crane business cooperation agreement with the state-owned heavy equipment company BEML.