India has finalized a new round of partnerships with Norway and Japan to boost collaboration in shipbuilding, ports, smart islands, maritime training, ship recycling and green maritime technologies.
As part of this strategy, India and Norway held bilateral meetings on June 3 in Oslo in an attempt to enhance the application of green maritime technologies.
Furthermore, the union minister of ports, shipping & waterways, Shri Sarbananda Sonowal attended an important MoU signing ceremony between Kolkata based Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers Limited (GRSE) and Norway’s Kongsberg Oslo on June 3. The agreement paves the way for India to build it first ever polar research vessel (PRV) indigenously.
The MoU between GRSE and Knogsberg marks an important milestone for India’s shipbuilding sector as it will receive design expertise for developing the PRV, while taking into account the requirement of National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research (NCOPR), who will use it for research activities in the polar and southern ocean realms.
The GRSE will build this PRV in its yard in Kolkata.
On the agenda of the meeting between India and Japan on June 2 in Oslo was to deepen the maritime ties. The meeting entailed discussions on multiple areas including investment by Japanese shipyards, collaboration on port digitisation and green port initiatives, increase in R&D cooperation, upskilling human resources, employment of Indian seafarers in Japan among others.
Opportunities for co-development of ports and maritime industrial clusters as clean energy hubs were also gauged for mutual cooperation between India and Japan.
During his meeting with Terada Yoshimichi, Japan’s vice minister for international affairs, the union minister of ports, shipping & waterways of India Shri Sarbananda Sonowal expressed India’s interest in leading Japanese shipbuilding companies such as Imabari Shipbuilding, JMUC, Kanagawa Dockyard, and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries to explore joint ventures and collaborative arrangements with Indian yards.
“Japan’s expertise in shipbuilding and ship repair is well recognised, and I see great scope for collaboration in this area. We also invite Japan’s Big Three maritime companies – NYK Line, MOL, and K Line – to explore joint ventures and investment opportunities in India’s growing maritime sector. With our strong bilateral relationship, India’s growing maritime industry present a unique opportunity for Japanese shipyards to invest in India in shipbuilding. Collaboration on port digitisation and green port initiatives will further strengthen the resilience and sustainability of our maritime logistics network,” said India’s shipping minister, Shri Sarbananda Sonowal.
Meanwhile, Shri Sarbananda Sonowal met with Norway’s transport minister Jon-Ivar Nygård and the minister of fisheries and ocean policy, Marianne Sivertsen, on the sidelines of the Nor-Shipping event in Oslo, to discuss deeper collaboration in green maritime technologies. Both sides explored joint efforts in smart logistics, digital port ecosystems, and clean coastal shipping.
During the bilateral meeting, India’s union minister Shri Sonowal dwelled upon possibilities and opportunities in ship recycling, seafarer’s training, sustainable fisheries and ocean management, ocean renewable energy, and offshore hydrocarbons.
Both sides also agreed to leverage Norway’s cutting-edge ship design expertise and India’s robust shipyard capacity to jointly produce world-class, eco-friendly vessels. Discussions on the ship recycling sector focused on leveraging expertise and green technologies to promote sustainable ship-breaking practices, with an emphasis on improving environmental, health, and safety standards.
Shri Sonowal called for Norway’s support in building human capital by imparting seafarer training, especially in polar waters, cybersecurity, and advanced maritime skills.
The Indian side proposed to conduct a joint feasibility study for operationalising the Northern Sea Route (NSR) with Norwegian and Indian agencies.
India expressed its keenness to work with Norway in Arctic navigation by collaborating on R&D in Arctic shipping, design and construction of ice-class vessels, advancement of navigational technologies.
This study will focus on ensuring safe and sustainable shipping practices in Arctic waters, addressing the unique operational challenges posed by extreme weather conditions, and minimising environmental impacts.
Meanwhile, Shri Sarbananda Sonowal joined the Crown Prince of Norway, Haakon in Oslo on June 3 to jointly inaugurate the India Pavilion at Nor-Shipping, a global maritime event. Marking India’s first-ever participation in this global maritime event, the pavilion is designed to showcase the country’s maritime strengths and serve as a platform to foster alliances and cooperation with international maritime players, enhancing India’s capabilities in the sector.
During the Crown Prince’s visit to the India Pavilion, Sonowal highlighted the special bilateral relationship that both countries enjoy with each other.
Norwegian shipowners have offices in India, with Indian seafarers making up 10% of their vessel crews, whilst Indian shipyards have built several large Norwegian vessels, according to a statement issued by the Indian government.
The collaboration extends to the blue economy, with joint initiatives in marine spatial planning, pollution research, tsunami early warning systems, and deep-sea mining.
