HD Hyundai Chairman holds talks with PM Modi on strengthening India–Korea Shipbuilding Cooperation

NEW DELHI : HD Hyundai Chairman Kisun Chung met with Indian Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi in New Delhi to discuss expanding bilateral cooperation in shipbuilding and maritime industries, underscoring India’s growing importance in the group’s global strategy.

The meeting took place during a high-level roundtable hosted by the Prime Minister at his official residence as part of India Energy Week 2026. The roundtable brought together around 30 senior participants, including key Indian government ministers, leaders of state-owned enterprises, and chief executives of major global corporations, to explore new avenues of industrial and energy cooperation.

During the interaction, Chairman Chung expressed appreciation for the Indian government’s strong push to develop the domestic shipbuilding sector and sought continued support for HD Hyundai’s collaborative initiatives in India.

“HD Hyundai continues to maintain close collaborative relationships with India across a wide range of areas,” Chung said. “India is a key pillar of our strategy to diversify overseas production bases, and I am confident it will serve as a new engine of growth for HD Hyundai.”

As part of India’s Maritime Amrit Kaal Vision 2047, HD Hyundai signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) last July with Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL), India’s largest state-owned shipbuilder. The partnership covers ship design and procurement support, productivity enhancement, and workforce skill development.

The cooperation has since expanded to include naval vessel construction, marking a deepening of technological and strategic collaboration between the two sides.

Further accelerating its India entry, HD Hyundai also signed an exclusive MoU with the Government of Tamil Nadu to jointly develop a new shipyard and pursue cooperation in the crane manufacturing business in partnership with state-owned BEML.

India has reciprocated this interest in closer ties. In recent months, senior Indian leaders including Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Hardeep Singh Puri and Tamil Nadu Industries Minister T. R. B. Rajaa visited South Korea. During their visits, they toured HD Hyundai’s Global R&D Center and its flagship Ulsan shipyard to discuss opportunities for expanded industrial and maritime cooperation.

The discussions signal a growing India–Korea partnership in shipbuilding, offshore engineering, and maritime infrastructure, aligned with India’s ambitions to become a global shipbuilding hub and HD Hyundai’s plans to broaden its international production footprint.