New delhi: India sees South Korea as a strong partner in its efforts to expand shipbuilding capacity and strengthen maritime security, a senior Indian official said Tuesday, underscoring New Delhi's ambition to become one of the world's top five shipbuilding nations by 2047.

According to Yonhap News Agency, in a written interview, Sarbananda Sonowal, the Indian minister of ports, shipping and waterways, emphasized that South Korea's experience in achieving rapid economic transformation offers critical lessons for India. This is particularly relevant as India pursues its "Viksit Bharat 2047" vision, a key initiative aimed at becoming a developed country by the 100th anniversary of its independence.

As part of the initiative's maritime goal, New Delhi aims to become one of the world's top ten shipbuilding countries by 2030, and ultimately one of the top five by 2047. The Indian government plans to invest US$24 billion in this initiative and to expand its commercial fleet from 1,500 to 2,500 vessels to bolster self-reliance.

The minister noted that achieving these targets will require international partnerships, highlighting South Korea's advanced shipbuilding technology and experience in constructing "reliable and timely ships with high quality specifications" as crucial for India.

He further explained that South Korea's unique strengths, such as precision engineering, liquefied natural gas (LNG) expertise, and highly efficient production systems, could accelerate India's progress in the global shipbuilding arena.

The minister also pointed out that India can learn valuable lessons from South Korea's economic development, which illustrates the benefits of a "focused industrial policy, technology absorption, and disciplined workforce."

"Korea's success shows how targeted incentives and sustained innovation through government-industry-academia collaboration can rapidly scale capabilities, which is highly relevant to India's 2047 aspirations," Sarbananda Sonowal concluded.