Team Herald
PANJIM: Goa’s Investment Promotion Board (IPB) at its 24th Board meeting decided to grant in-principle approval for setting up of the common facility cluster in maritime industry in the state of Goa. Accordingly, Goa-IPB vide letter dated January 16, 2020 issued an in-principle approval to the project.
Further, to get identified as an exclusive maritime cluster in the western region, the company was renamed from Western Shipbuilding Pvt Limited to Konkan Maritime Cluster. Accordingly the name change was effected by Goa IPB.
“Subsequently plot No. U-05-1, measuring 14,380 square meters in Verna Industrial Estate is allotted to M/s Konkan Maritime Cluster by Goa IDC on June 19, 2020. Being a SPV under a tri-partite agreement with the Central government and Government of Goa, Konkan Maritime Cluster is the first maritime cluster of India being set up by a corporation of Goan companies supported by Confederation of Indian Industry and Shipyards Association of Goa, Ministry of Shipping and Transport, Govt of India, which will enhance the socio-economic development of the state,” Nidhi Satija, IPB CEO told Herald.
GIDC Chairman, Glenn Ticlo informed Herald that such a move has happened for the first time in India. “This will surely help the ship-building industry very much. There are 49 companies in this cluster and every one will be able to contribute the cluster and help their own industry grow.”
President of the Verna Industrial Estate, Pradip da Costa told Herald that, “The proposed Maritime Cluster Centre is an approved project by the DITC and the IPB of Goa. It’s proposed setup at Verna seems in principle a good initiative to help not only MSMEs from Goa to make use of valuable resources by saving on expensive investments, but also a great initiative of skill development of Goan youth, as is its proposed constitution or rather intent indicates. Hopefully this is in the right intent and takes off well”.
One of the ship-designing companies of Goa Buoyancy Consultants is of the opinion that with this move their business will grow. “The progress made with India’s first maritime cluster is a great development. Goa always had shipbuilding ecosystem but it’s a high time that it’s equipped with modern facilities to compete at global scale with larger shipbuilding ecosystems like China, Japan etc. Common Maritime cluster facility will give Goa an edge to lead the shipbuilding industry in the country, said Prasad P Sawant, CEO and Managing Partner at Buoyancy Consultants.
Brijesh Manerikar who is the Managing Director of India Futuristic Marine Pvt Ltd which produces valves for marine and naval ships, believes that ship-building in India is very limited as against other countries. “Our business will grow but the scope of expansion in this sector is very limited. There cannot be much organic growth. Unless inland waterways grow, the growth of industry will be limited. Marine equipment will start selling if our inland waterways come into full swing,” said Manerikar.
