Tamil Nadu Industries Minister Virudhai Magal Keerthana visited Hyundai Heavy Industries in South Korea, discussing cooperation for the Thoothukudi Greenfield Shipyard. The visit aims to strengthen India's shipbuilding capacity and boost TN's economy.
Tamil Nadu Industries Minister, Virudhai Magal Keerthana, on Tuesday held talks over areas of cooperation with Hyundai Heavy Industries on her first international visit to South Korea.
During her visit to HD Hyundai Heavy Industries' Ulsan shipyard, the 30-year-old TVK leader expressed commitment towards developing the Thoothukudi Greenfield Shipyard, for which an MoU was signed in April 2026. In an X post describing her visit, Keerthana said that she toured shipbuilding facilities and observed advanced production systems. She wrote, "Under the guidance of Hon'ble Chief Minister Thiru C Joseph Vijay, I visited HD Hyundai Heavy Industries' Ulsan shipyard in the Republic of Korea, where I toured shipbuilding facilities, observed advanced production systems, and held discussions on potential areas of cooperation. The proposed Thoothukudi Greenfield Shipyard is one of the earliest outcomes of the India-Republic of Korea maritime cooperation framework and reflects the growing strategic partnership between our two countries in the maritime sector. The project is envisaged as a mega greenfield shipyard with the capability to support large commercial vessel segments and strengthen India's long-term shipbuilding capacity."
Project's Economic and Strategic Significance
Noting the significance of the project, she said that Tamil Nadu is well placed to become a leader in the Blue Economy and a major hub for shipbuilding and maritime industries. She added that the project has the "potential to generate large-scale employment, attract global suppliers, strengthen domestic shipbuilding capability, create opportunities for MSMEs and ancillary industries."
Keerthana wrote, "With one of India's longest coastlines and a strong maritime tradition, Tamil Nadu is well placed to become a leader in the Blue Economy and a major hub for shipbuilding and maritime industries. Thoothukudi, with its port-led location and industrial hinterland, offers a strong platform for developing a new maritime manufacturing cluster. Under the leadership of Hon'ble Chief Minister, the Government of Tamil Nadu is committed to realising this potential through a stable, transparent and facilitative business environment."
"The proposed greenfield shipbuilding cluster with HD Hyundai as an anchor player in Thoothukudi is an important project in advancing India's shipbuilding ambitions and Tamil Nadu's vision for maritime growth. HD Hyundai's experience in developing and operating world-class shipyards, building large commercial vessels, and integrating marine engineering and production systems will be valuable as Tamil Nadu works to create a globally competitive shipbuilding ecosystem. This project has the potential to generate large-scale employment, attract global suppliers, strengthen domestic shipbuilding capability, create opportunities for MSMEs and ancillary industries, and position Tamil Nadu as a major contributor to India's maritime and Blue Economy ambitions," the TVK MLA added.
Details of the Tripartite MoU
According to the Shipping Ministry, a tripartite MoU was signed on April 20 between HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering Co. Ltd. (HD KSOE), National Shipbuilding & Heavy Industries Park, Tamil Nadu Limited (NSHIP-TN), and Sagarmala Finance Corporation Limited (SMFCL) for the development of India's first Mega Greenfield Shipyard at Thoothukudi. The agreement emerged under the India-ROK Comprehensive Framework 'VOYAGES' (Shared Vision for Operation of Yard Assisted Growth with Efficiency and Scale) for Partnership in Shipbuilding, Shipping and Maritime Logistics, launched following the meeting between Hon'ble Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Lee Jae Myung during his visit to India.
The mega shipyard at Thoothukudi has an envisaged annual capacity of 2.5 million gross tons (GT). The project is expected to generate approximately 15,000 direct jobs upon stabilisation of operations, the ministry stated. (ANI)
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