HD Hyundai is advancing a new shipyard project in India and preparing broader investment plans in Vietnam as it responds to rising global competition and sharpens its focus on high-value vessels at home.
India’s shipbuilding sector is expanding with naval demand, export orders and policy support. For Korean shipbuilders facing high labour costs and limited production bases, India is emerging as a possible partner for cost relief and future capacity expansion.
HD Hyundai Heavy Industries applied a two-yard construction model to a 157,000 dwt suezmax tanker, joining a bow section built by HSG Sungdong Shipbuilding with a stern section completed at Ulsan. The project is aimed at making better use of dock space as South Korean shipyards manage larger orderbooks.
HD Hyundai has expanded its humanoid welding robot project with Persona AI, HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering and HD Hyundai Robotics, targeting phased deployment in shipyards after prototype completion and field testing.
HD Hyundai said reports of a KRW 3trn ($4bn) investment in a new shipyard in India’s Tamil Nadu state were not confirmed, according to a Korea Exchange filing.
HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering is advancing a $4.0 billion shipyard project in Thoothukudi, India, with planned annual capacity of 3.5 million to 4.0 million tonnes. The yard is being developed separately from the Cochin Shipyard block facility and is expected to serve as an anchor site within a wider cluster.
Siemens will build an integrated digital platform for HD KSOE to connect design-to-production workflows, supporting HD Hyundai’s “Future of Shipyard” program targeted for completion by 2030.
HD Hyundai Chairman Chung Kisun met Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi to discuss expanding cooperation in shipbuilding, naval construction, and port crane projects during IndiaEnergyWeek2026.
HD Hyundai is expanding its use of Palantir Technologies’ Foundry and AIP platforms from oil refining into shipbuilding, construction equipment, electric-system units, robotics and marine aftermarket services under a reinforced group-wide partnership.
