The Government should support the ship-building industry in a big way, if Indian industry is to make a mark globally, as at present, the country’s share is less than one per cent, according to experts.

They were speaking here at a global maritime seminar organised by the Visakhapatnam chapter of the Indian Institute of Marine Engineers on Friday.

Rear Admiral (retd) NK Mishra, Chairman and Managing Director of Hindusthan Shipyard Ltd here, said the bulk of the equipment used in ship-building had to be imported adding to the costs and lead time. He said the cost of finance was very high and with the government withdrawing subsidies, it was becoming very difficult, almost impossible, to maintain the momentum of ship-building.

He said Korea, China and Japan are supporting the ship-building industry in a big way and “if we have to stay in the international market, there should be a level-playing field for us also. The Centre should lend a helping hand to the industry, known for its cyclical nature.”

He said HSL was expecting two big orders for submarines and it had a committed, skilled workforce. The performance of the company, in spite of the problems faced by it in recent times, was commendable, he added.

Lacking productivity Mohan Rao, shipping consultant, said there was no problem with quality as far as ship-building in India was concerned, but there was a problem with productivity. Indian shipyards were not able to build ships as quickly as desired, and there was not a single shipyard in the country measuring up to international standards.

He also accused the Centre of neglecting the shipping sector and called for promoting coastal shipping in a big way. Skill development was also of utmost importance.

sarma.rs@thehindu.co.in

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