Mumbai, Oct 3: India’s push to expand domestic shipbuilding and strengthen its maritime capacity will require the Shipping Corporation of India (SCI) to take a larger role, Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal said in Mumbai on Friday.
Addressing an event marking SCI’s 65 years of operations, Sonowal called on the state-owned shipping company to contribute to the country’s efforts to build ships domestically and develop a globally competitive maritime sector. He said India’s objective was moving beyond owning vessels to building them within the country.
The minister also pointed to SCI’s role in protecting India’s energy and trade interests, citing the company’s performance during the recent Strait of Hormuz crisis. He asked the corporation to support the government’s Viksit Bharat and Atmanirbhar Bharat objectives, with a stronger national fleet forming part of India’s stated ambition to become a leading shipbuilding and ship-owning nation by 2047.
Sonowal said SCI’s fleet, workforce and partnerships would be important to the Maritime Amrit Kaal Vision 2047. The ministry identifies SCI as a Central Public Sector Enterprise headquartered in Mumbai and says the company owns 58 vessels with a combined capacity of 5.26 million deadweight tonnes.
Established in 1961 as a liner shipping company with 19 vessels, SCI has since expanded across multiple segments of maritime transport. Its operations now include crude and product tankers, bulk and container shipping, LPG and LNG carriers, offshore services, passenger and coastal transport, project cargo, ship management and shipbuilding consultancy.
Sonowal said the company’s expansion over the decades demonstrated the capacity of Indian enterprise when supported by national policy goals. He also linked SCI’s future fleet expansion and partnerships with the broader objective of strengthening India’s shipbuilding capabilities.
Maharashtra Fisheries and Ports Minister Nitesh Narayan Rane highlighted SCI’s longstanding association with Maharashtra and Mumbai. He said a strong shipping ecosystem remained important for trade, employment and the wider growth of India’s maritime economy.
The ministry’s shipping division identifies shipbuilding and ship repair as areas supporting maritime trade, coastal logistics, defence preparedness and employment, while noting that maritime transport handles a substantial share of India’s trade by volume and value.
SCI also has a direct operational link with the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, where it manages vessels for the Administration on mainland–Sri Vijaya Puram routes and inter-island services.
