The Hindu : National : Boost for Gujarat ship-building industry

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Wednesday, Oct 03, 2007
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National

Boost for Gujarat ship-building industry

Manas Dasgupta

Proposals worth over Rs. 12,948 crore signed or approved in principle

AHMEDABAD: Investment proposals worth over Rs.12,948 crore were either signed or approved in principle for the development of ship-building industry in Gujarat at the two-day “International seminar on ship-building opportunities,” which concluded here on Sunday.

Minister of State for Industries Anil Patel and the vice-chairman and chief executive officer of the Gujarat Maritime Board (GMB), H. K. Dash, described the outcome of the seminar as a major milestone in the development of the industry.

Chairman and Managing Director of the Korea Maritime Consultants, Dong Shik Shin, saw an immense opportunity in Gujarat to develop the industry. He said he was “humbled” by the efforts of the State government and the GMB in organising the seminar.

He advocated the setting up of a “well-integrated, well-coordinated and well-crafted” single-window government agency to professionally monitor, guide and support the ship-building industry and another government agency to formulate policies.

The government, he suggested, would also have to invest in research and development, and arrange for training facilities at all levels and ensure supportive infrastructure to make the industry grow.

MoU signed

Giving details of the 31 Memoranda of Understanding signed during the seminar, Mr. Patel said it included Rs.3,515-crore worth of proposals already finalised, Rs.7,033 crore “approved in principle,” and Rs.2,300 crore worth of proposals at the initial stage of “expression of interest.”

Agreement

Also, an agreement was signed for the setting up of a Vessel Traffic Port Management System (VTPMS) project in the Gulf of Cambay at a cost of Rs.100 crore.

The Gulf of Cambay VTPMS, which would manage and control the movements of the sea-bound ships, would manage half the 1,600-km coastline in the State with the other half in the Gulf of Kutch already being covered by an existing VTPMS.

A major private sector unit in the shipping industry in the country, Essar, signed a Rs.750-crore agreement for the re-launch of the Hazira-Dahej RO-RO terminal and common user dry cargo jetty in partnership with the GMB.

Mr. Patel said the government intended to set up about 100 shipyards along the coastline on cluster concept with each cluster being declared a Special Economic Zone. Each cluster would have 10 to 15 ship-building yards with a capacity to build 0.3 to 0.6 million Dead Weight Tonnage (DWT) ships per annum.

The State also intended to achieve a total annual turnover of 30 million Dead Weight Tonnage by the year 2020, equivalent to the current turnover of the Japanese ship-building yards.

S. C. Shelat, Financial Adviser to Chief Minister, said three universities had proposed marine engineering courses while similar courses at the diploma level would also be started in several ITIs.

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