A South Korean team has begun site survey and feasibility work for HD Hyundai’s proposed mega shipyard at Thoothukudi in Tamil Nadu. The project, estimated at around $4 billion, is expected to significantly strengthen India’s shipbuilding and maritime manufacturing capabilities.
The proposed shipyard is planned as part of a larger shipbuilding cluster at Thoothukudi. The Tamil Nadu government has facilitated the project by transferring around 1,700 acres for the first phase, allowing detailed project preparation and feasibility studies to move forward.
HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering (HD KSOE), the shipbuilding arm of HD Hyundai, had signed an MoU with the National Shipbuilding & Heavy Industries Park, Tamil Nadu, and Sagarmala Finance Corporation for the development, financing and operation of the greenfield shipyard.
The proposed facility is expected to have a large shipbuilding capacity and become a major anchor for the Thoothukudi maritime cluster. The project is part of India’s broader push to expand domestic shipbuilding and position the country among the world’s leading shipbuilding nations.
The development could also create new opportunities for maritime manufacturing, skilled employment, ancillary industries and logistics in Tamil Nadu, while strengthening India’s presence in the global shipbuilding market.
