9JUNE 2025INDIA TO PARTNER WITH GLOBAL LEADERS FOR MARITIME VISION 2047: SONOWALZF GROUP TAPS INDIA AS KEY BASE FOR GLOBAL MANUFACTURING AND EXPORT GROWTHZF Group's aggressive expansion in India underscores a broader trend, and global automotive majors are increasingly turning to India not just as a low-cost manufacturing base but as a strategic export and engineering hub. With 19 manufacturing facilities already operational and plans to double production lines over the next five years, ZF is aligning itself with India's rising capabilities in precision engineering, cost-efficiency, and supply chain resilience.· India to build its first Polar Research Vessel with Norway's Kongsberg.· Maritime Vision 2047 targets 10,000 MTPA port capacity, 500 MTPA inland cargo.· Sonowal pushes global ties and invites Norway to invest in Indian shipyards.· ZF's India growth marks a shift to India as a strategic global manufacturing and export hub.· `Make in India' and trade deals are fueling major automotive investments.· Localization now includes full engineering control, boosting India's global supply chain role.Kongsberg to build India's first-ever Polar Research Vessel (PRV). "This will meet the requirement of India's National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research (NCOPR) that will use it for research activities in the polar and Southern Ocean realms," an official statement confirmed. The PRV will be constructed at GRSE's Kolkata shipyard, marking a transformative step for India's shipbuilding industry.The Minister emphasized the importance of international collaboration: "Discussions have been held with countries that have expertise in maritime infrastructure development. Partnerships will be forged in line with 2047 goals," Sonowal told from Oslo. He added, "Global best practices will be incorporated in domestic maritime operations."India plans to scale up port cargo handling capacity to 10,000 MTPA and increase inland waterway cargo volume by 400% to 500 MTPA by 2047. Currently holding less than 1% of the global shipbuilding share, India is now strategically poised for growth.Highlighting the strong maritime ties, Sonowal invited Norwegian shipowners to invest in Indian shipyards, noting they already hold 11% of the Norwegian Shipowners' Association's order book. "We invite greater collaboration with Norway to build a green, smart, and resilient maritime ecosystem," he said. Globally, ZF has 161 plants, though its operations in India are now especially important. Momentum from `Make in India' and other government plans is leading to more foreign investment in the country's auto component industry. Building a new plant every year shows that ZF is sure India can compete globally in the industry."We are now actually inaugurating one plant per year. But we have, in several locations here in India, the opportunity to grow the facility itself. So (for instance), in Oragadam (in Chennai), we can mirror it and double it... And then we have to investigate further where we are going," said Dr. Peter Laier, Member of the ZF Group Board of Management.The company is betting big on the UK-India Free Trade Agreement and ongoing EU-India FTA talks to boost exports. This move also reflects the industry shift toward regionalized supply chains. As Andreas Moser, Executive VP, ZF Group, noted, "Localization is about much more than manufacturing: it also requires authority, responsiveness, and product-level understanding at the local level."ZF's India strategy not only mirrors global manufacturing realignment but also strengthens India's positioning as a high-value player in the global automotive supply chain. India is steering its maritime future with a bold vision. At the Nor-Shipping 2025 conference held in Norway, Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal affirmed that India will reach its Maritime India Vision 2047 with the help of domain knowledge and global partnerships.In a key achievement, Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE) finalized an agreement with
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