India’s First Mega Greenfield Shipyard to Be Developed in Tamil Nadu

On May 14 (KNN), a tripartite Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed for the development of India’s first mega greenfield shipyard in Thoothukudi, Tamil Nadu. The project marks a major step toward strengthening the country’s shipbuilding capacity and maritime infrastructure.

Details of the Agreement

The consultancy services agreement was signed between HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering, National Shipbuilding and Heavy Industries Park Tamil Nadu Limited, and Sagarmala Finance Corporation Limited under the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways.

The signing was conducted in the presence of Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal during the state visit of the President of the Republic of Korea, Lee Jae Myung, to India.

Project Capacity and Employment Generation

The proposed shipyard is expected to have an annual capacity of 2.5 million gross tonnage (GT). Once fully operational, it is projected to generate around 15,000 direct jobs along with significant indirect employment opportunities in Tamil Nadu and surrounding regions.

Part of India–South Korea Maritime Cooperation

The agreement is part of the India–Republic of Korea maritime cooperation framework titled “VOYAGES” (Shared Vision for Operation of Yard Assisted Growth with Efficiency and Scale).

This initiative was launched following discussions between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Lee Jae Myung, further strengthening bilateral cooperation in the maritime sector.