India currently ranks only 16th in global shipbuilding, accounting for just 0.06 per cent of the commercial shipbuilding market, while paying approximately US$ 85 billion annually in freight charges to foreign shipping companies for its EXIM cargo. The national aspiration is to emerge as one of the world’s top shipbuilding nations by 2047 and significantly increase the share of Indian cargo carried on Indian-built and Indian-owned ships. Achieving this vision is essential not only for economic growth but also for ensuring sovereign control over critical supply chains, energy security, mineral access, food security, and strategic maritime resilience.