V.O. Chidambaranar Port Authority invites bids for new shipyard
A general cargo vessel alongside at VOC Port (Source: vocport.gov)
India’s V.O. Chidambaranar Port Authority has opened a tender for a new shipbuilding and repair yard across 56 hectares at Tuticorin, including 49 hectares of land and seven of waterfront, offered on a 30-year lease. Entrants to the bidding process must have prior experience of shipbuilding, maintenance or repair, and affiliation with a recognised class society, though bidders which do not qualify can team up with a suitably qualified partner to make a bid. Shipbuilding and ship repair activity is expanding fast throughout India in an attempt by the Modi Government to provide an alternative to China’s shipbuilding dominance. The Administration says that it wants India to become a top-ten global shipbuilder by 2030, and a top-five by the mid-2040s.
V.O. Chidambaranar Port Authority recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with State Industries Promotion Corporation of Tamil Nadu (SIPCOT) to strengthen maritime infrastructure in that region, establishing a shipbuilding and shiprepair cluster, including a shipyard capable of constructing and maintaining vessels, supporting local employment.
