India is continuing its push to become a recognised leader in ship design, build and operations. The latest move is to create a Centre of Excellence, driven by the Indian Register of Shipping, the country’s class society, and backed by the IT giant, Siemens and the Ministry of Shipping.
The joint venture will be known as the “Centre of Excellence in Maritime and Shipbuilding” and is driven by a government policy to bridge the skills gap in industry as the country meets the requirement of its multibillion-dollar Sagarmala project.
In a statement IRS said CEMS will primarily focus on the design of commercial ships in India for seagoing, coastal and inland waterways operation.
“This would support various Indian shipyards for their ship design needs for basic design and detailed working design for production,” it said, adding “The centre will also study the market needs and develop appropriate ship designs catering to the requirements for the development and growth of Indian shipping considering the needs of ship owners and operators in the country.”
Such ‘centres of excellence” are not uncommon in the maritime sector, with several industry clusters creating similar insitutions around the world in a bid to bring into close proximity various maritime competencies. The India Centre of Excellence will have two campuses – one at IRS Mumbai and the other in Vishakapatnam where both already have sufficient office capacity and infrastructure.
Executive Chairman Mr. Arun Sharma said the centre represents a watershed moment for IRS as it enters the area of skills development. “We look forward to create something world class,” he said.
Fathom-News.com
