MUMBAI : In a significant step towards strengthening India’s maritime and shipbuilding capabilities, the Directorate General of Maritime Administration (DGMA) and the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IIT Bombay) have formalised a landmark Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aimed at enhancing capacity building, policy implementation, research and innovation across the nation’s shipbuilding ecosystem.
The MoU was signed in the distinguished presence of Shri Sushil Khopde, IPS, Additional Director General of Maritime Administration, and Prof. Shrikrishna V. Kulkarni, Dean (R&D), IIT Bombay. Shri Ravi Kumar M, Deputy Director General (Coastal), and Shri Nikhil Kumar, SS-cum-DDG (Tech), were also present on the occasion.
The strategic collaboration gives concrete expression to the Government of India’s vision under Maritime Amrit Kaal Vision 2047, which seeks to position India among the top five shipbuilding nations globally and establish a globally competitive, technologically advanced and self-reliant maritime ecosystem.
Under the MoU, DGMA and IIT Bombay will work together to create stronger linkages between government policy, academia, research institutions and industry. The partnership will facilitate support and knowledge exchange in areas related to the Shipbuilding Development Scheme (SbDS), while also promoting student internships, industry exposure, technical learning and collaborative research.
The collaboration is expected to provide students and researchers with greater opportunities to engage with real-world maritime and shipbuilding challenges, while enabling policymakers and industry stakeholders to benefit from cutting-edge academic research, technological expertise and innovation.
The MoU assumes added significance against the backdrop of the Government’s ongoing initiatives to strengthen domestic maritime manufacturing and logistics capabilities, including the upcoming Coastal Cargo Promotion Scheme and Container Manufacturing Scheme.
By bringing together institutional expertise and policy priorities, the DGMA–IIT Bombay partnership is poised to contribute to the development of a stronger, more resilient and innovation-driven shipbuilding ecosystem in India.
The initiative reinforces the Government’s broader commitment to Atmanirbhar Bharat and Viksit Bharat, while supporting the long-term transformation of India into a globally competitive maritime and shipbuilding hub.
The DGMA–IIT Bombay MoU marks a decisive step towards aligning policy, talent, technology and industry for the next generation of India’s maritime growth.
