VOC Port & TN Govt: Shipbuilding Cluster at Tuticorin

New Delhi, Jan 29 (PTI) V.O. Chidambaranar Port Authority (VOCPA) on Thursday said it has formed a special purpose vehicle (SPV) to set up a mega shipbuilding cluster at Tuticorin (Thoothukudi) to advance India's maritime sector.

The port authority, in a statement, said that this SPV (National Shipbuilding & Heavy Industries Park, Tamil Nadu) has been established as a 50:50 joint venture between VOCPA and the State Industries Promotion Corporation of Tamil Nadu (SIPCOT).

The move follows the foundational Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed in September 2025 in the presence of Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal, and builds on sustained efforts to advance India's maritime sector, the statement added.

The statement said the SPV will develop a mega shipbuilding cluster at Tuticorin (Thoothukudi), designed to strengthen India's commercial shipbuilding and repair ecosystem.


It said the initiative also supports the broader Shipbuilding Development Scheme backed by the Union Cabinet to expand domestic shipbuilding capacity, drive technological advancement, and deepen maritime infrastructure across the country.

Chairman of VOCPA, Susanta Kumar Purohit, said: "This joint venture represents a transformative milestone for VOC Port and India's maritime ambitions."

VOCPA, situated in Tuticorin, Tamil Nadu, is one of India's 12 major ports under the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways.

It handles a diverse range of cargo, including containers, bulk, and break-bulk, playing a vital role in facilitating trade, economic progress, and industrial development in southern India.