VISAKHAPATNAM: Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu and Rear Admiral Chandrasekharan Raghuram (Retd.), Chairman and Managing Director of Hindustan Shipyard Limited (HSL), held discussions on plans to strengthen Andhra Pradesh’s maritime sector through new shipbuilding projects, employment generation and support for local industries.
The discussions focused on HSL’s proposal to establish greenfield shipyards at Machilipatnam and Dugarajapatnam. According to HSL, the proposed shipyards are part of its long-term expansion plans to increase shipbuilding capacity and strengthen the country’s shipbuilding capabilities.
HSL said the projects are expected to generate around 18 lakh man-days of employment in shipbuilding, ship repair, logistics and related industries. The company said the initiative would also help develop skills among young people for jobs in the maritime sector.
The discussions also covered business opportunities for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs). HSL said the projects could create orders worth more than Rs 2,000 crore for local MSMEs engaged in fabrication, components, outfitting and supply chain activities. The meeting also reviewed plans to develop an integrated maritime ecosystem to attract investments and support the growth of the blue economy in Andhra Pradesh, with the aim of strengthening the state’s maritime sector.