National Maritime Foundation Director Vice-Admiral (retired) Pradeep Kaushiva said on Tuesday that the opportunity in Indian maritime trade and transport had been grossly underutilised.
He urged the Union government to consider shipbuilding as a strategic industry and noted that the prospects of growth of subsidiary industry in the sector remained high.
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He was addressing a seminar on shipping industry, called ‘Build ships, build India', organised by Confederation of Indian Industry and National Maritime Foundation here.
He said there was a need to promote inland water transport, being the cheapest mode of transport.
He also called for exchange of data on shipping and allied sectors among various stakeholders.
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Vice Admiral B. Kannan, Programme Director, Advanced Technology Vessel Project, Indian Navy, said private sector has a key role in shipbuilding industry.
The maritime policy agenda document brought out by the government lacked focus on it. In keeping with international trends, India would have to augment the handling capacity at the ports to facilitate operation of bigger ships, he said.
Cochin Port Trust Chairman Paul Antony said non-availability of land posed problems for shipbuilding industry.
He also underlined the need for massive clusters to support the industry.
Ports Secretary Manoj Joshi said heavy duty imposed on maritime trade with a view to protecting domestic industry was indirectly harming shipbuilding industry.
India needed to go a long way in achieving technological advances made in several foreign countries in shipbuilding sector.
He lauded the State government's plan to develop maritime institutes at Kollam and Kodungalloor.