Greece and India are two countries in which the shipbuilding and repair sector is reviving, at a time when the capacity of shipyards in Asia is currently facing limitations due to the large number of orders for newbuildings, emphasized, among others, the president of Piraeus Chamber of Commerce & Industry (PCCI) Vassilis Korkidis, in his intervention-position at the Webinar on shipping, which was successfully co-organised by Enterprise Greece, the Invest India organization and the Piraeus Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
The president of the Chamber noted that this juncture can bring Greece and India closer for the development of synergies in this field, pointing out the wide-range of fields for both-way investments that will lead both sides to a win-win relationship, but also be an occasion for the further development of bilateral economic relations.
The Piraeus Chamber of Commerce and Industry, continued, expects the development of collaborations and synergies in all areas of economic activities between the two countries, pointing out that the effort of India, which is a dynamically emerging economy, to develop its own shipping, is an opportunity for cooperation with Greek companies.
Also, the president of the PCCI, on the occasion of the overview of Maritime Transport 2023 published by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) last month, essentially emphasized that the presentation of problem of congestion in Asian shipyards creates opportunities for the Greek shipbuilding industry to now claim that market for scrubbers, but also tailor-made orders, which are currently monopolized by shipyards in the North Sea and the Adriatic, as well as the modernization of the country’s coastal fleet.
It is obvious, said Mr. Korkidis, that the country has a potential with know-how, which fortunately was not lost during the years of the hypnosis of the shipbuilding sector.
Finally, he listed the necessary improvement interventions that must be quickly carried out by the Greek state, in order to eliminate “mistakes of the past”, which he described as “anchors”, in order for all the companies of the cluster that moves around the shipbuilding activities to bring a much of the exports being made with materials destined for shipyards in Europe and Asia.
The development of this very market, a market with high added value and with an export mark, must be the common goal to be achieved with the help of the state, concluded Mr. Korkidis.
Interventions were also made by the vice-president of the PCCI, K. Achladitis, and G. Xiradakis, Special Advisor of the PCCI in shipping matters, the vice-president of N.E.E., G. Alexandratos, the vice-president of Invest India, Kritika Singh, the president of HEMEXPO, Eleni Polychronopoulou, the A.E. the ambassador of India in Greece, Rudrendra Tandon, and A.E. the ambassador of Greece in India, Dimitrios Ioannou.
