CHENNAI: Union Shipping Minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Friday opened a dedicated ship technology centre in Visakhapatnam, stepping up efforts to reduce reliance on foreign designs and build capacity in an industry it wants to place among the world’s top 10 by 2030.
The minister virtually inaugurated the Indian Ship Technology Centre (ISTC) during the 10th convocation of the Indian Maritime University (IMU) in Chennai.
The centre, located on IMU’s Visakhapatnam campus, is designed as a hub for indigenous ship design, research and skills training, and will act as a single-window service provider for consultancy, training and policy inputs.
“The country is embarking on a new era of maritime excellence,” Sonowal said, citing the government’s Maritime Amrit Kaal Vision 2047.
ISTC is equipped with advanced software and design tools and will work with industry to accelerate adoption of new production processes. “The state has some of the country’s best shipping talent, and we aim to make it the world’s best shipyard,” he said.