HD Hyundai is stepping up efforts to strengthen ties with India, as the Korean shipbuilder looks to bolster global partnerships.
According to the Korean shipbuilder on Thursday, HD Hyundai Chair Chung Ki-sun met with India’s Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri to discuss ways to strengthen cooperation at HD Hyundai’s global research and development center in Gyeonggi Province.
The HD Hyundai chief presented the firm’s shipbuilding design and technological capabilities, as well as the operating system of smart shipyards, seeking specific ways to cooperate to strengthen India’s shipbuilding industry and support its technological independence.
“As a trusted partner of India, HD Hyundai will contribute to the shipbuilding industry,” said Chung. “We will continue to carry on our global leadership for the sustainable growth of the shipbuilding and maritime industry.”
The Indian officials visited HD Hyundai as a part of the country’s Maritime Amrit Kaal Vision 2047 initiative, which aims to ramp up the fleet of merchant vessels from the current number of 1,500 to 2,500 by 2047, investing about $24 billion to become a top five shipbuilding nation in the world. The Indian government announced an $8 billion support measure for building new ships last month.
“HD Hyundai will be a key partner in realizing India’s maritime vision,” the Indian minister said. “We look forward to further deepening and advancing our cooperation through exchanges between the Government of India and HD Hyundai.”
The Indian delegation included Indian Ambassador to Korea Gourangalal Das, India’s Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Chair Arun Kumar Singh, Cochin Shipyard Chair Madhu S. Nair and Deendayal Port Authority Chair Sushil Kumar Singh, among other high-ranking officials from India’s public sector and shipbuilding industry.
HD Hyundai signed a memorandum of understanding with Cochin Shipyard, India’s biggest state-run shipbuilder, in July to collaborate on vessel design and procurement support, productivity advancement and workforce development. The two sides announced earlier in the week that they agreed to jointly build naval ships and take part in the Indian Navy’s amphibious vessel acquisition project.
According to HD Hyundai, the Indian delegation was set to visit the Korean company’s Ulsan shipyard on Friday and look over the shipbuilding site. Source: The Korea Herald
