The Ministry of Shipping has directed all major ports to procure or charter tug boats which are only made in India. All procurements being done by major ports would now need to be carried out as per the revised ‘Make in India’ order

In a move to promote the Indian ship building industry, a decision has been taken directing all major ports to use only Indian built tug boats now onwards, a Make-in-India initiative by the Shipping Ministry.

Shipping Minister Mansukh Mandaviya has said that the government is taking 360-degree actions to revive old shipyards and promote ship building in India.

It is a step towards bolstering the revival of Indian ship building and a big move towards AtmaNirbhar Bharat.

The Ministry of Shipping has directed all major ports to procure or charter tug boats which are only made in India. All procurements being done by major ports would now need to be carried out as per the revised ‘Make in India’ order.

"The government will try to create an ecosystem for ship building, ship repair, ship recycling and flagging in India. Atma Nirbhar Shipping is going to be the order in the coming times," Mandaviya has said.

The Ministry is aiming to promote the Indian ship building industry and also have discussions with some leading countries for Make-in-India ship building.

Procurement/chartering of port crafts would need to be aligned with the revised Make-in-India order to promote shipbuilding in India.

It is proposed to set up a Standing Specifications Committee under the Managing Director, Indian Ports Association, and comprising representatives from Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL), Shipping Corporation of India (SCI), Indian Register of Shipping (IRS) and Director-General of Shipping.

The Standing Specifications Committee would shortlist around five variants/types of tugs and prepare a ‘Approved Standardized Tug Design and Specifications.’ (ASTDS).

This ASTDS would outline specifications, general arrangements, basic calculations, basic structural drawings, key system drawings and other construction standards, etc.

These standards would be vetted by the Standing Specifications Committee and, thereafter, certified ‘in-principle’ by IRS and published by the Indian Ports Association on its website.

The Ministry will also provide some windows to major ports so that construction time would be available.

Recently, the government-owned Cochin Shipyard Limited has been successful in grabbing the order for two automated vessels from the Norwegian government.

These will be first-of-its-kind unmanned vessels. Various decisions taken by the Ministry of Shipping will turn around the ship building sector in the near future.