Archive · 26 Aug 2026
India and Denmark Expand Maritime Shipbuilding and Technology Cooperation
India and Denmark want to work more closely on ships and ocean-related industries.
Their plans include building commercial and naval ships, improving ports and sharing maritime technology.
The countries are studying which shipbuilding projects could work best.
Denmark may also send defence companies to meet Indian naval organisations.
India wants to build more ships at home and rely less on foreign suppliers.
Danish companies could provide equipment such as pumps, electrical systems, coatings and digital tools.
The cooperation builds on a partnership created in 2020 and a green-shipping centre established in 2025.
India hopes to greatly increase its shipbuilding capacity by 2047.
India and Denmark are preparing a feasibility study on naval and commercial shipbuilding cooperation.
The partnership may also cover port development, maritime technologies and regulatory cooperation.
Denmark plans to bring leading defence companies to India to explore work with Indian naval stakeholders.
India aims to increase shipbuilding output from just over 100,000 gross tonnes to about 4.5 million by 2047.
Danish firms are expected to provide high-value components, digital systems and specialised maritime technologies rather than mainly export ships.
- Who
- The governments and maritime industries of India and Denmark, including Danish companies and Indian naval stakeholders.
- What
- They are expanding cooperation in commercial and naval shipbuilding, port development, green shipping and maritime technologies.
- When
- The cooperation builds on a 2020 partnership and was strengthened by a green-shipping centre established in 2025; the feasibility study is now being developed.
- Where
- India, including potential shipbuilding and maritime-industry projects there.
- Why
- India wants to build domestic shipbuilding capacity, increase local value addition and reduce dependence on foreign fleets and technology, while Denmark seeks opportunities for its maritime technology companies.
- India’s maritime trade
- About 95% of India’s trade by volume moves by sea.
- Sagarmala 2.0 target
- The government has targeted $139 billion of investment to expand and modernise the maritime sector.
- Shipbuilding goal
- India aims to increase output from just over 100,000 gross tonnes to about 4.5 million gross tonnes by 2047.
- Danish investment commitment
- Maersk has announced a further $5 billion investment commitment in India.
- Existing partnership
- The cooperation builds on the Green Strategic Partnership signed in 2020.
- Green-shipping centre
- The Indo-Danish Centre of Excellence on Green Shipping was established in India in 2025.
- Planned next step
- A feasibility study will identify opportunities in naval and commercial shipbuilding before a targeted programme for Danish companies.