Swan Defence and Heavy Industries Limited (SDHI), India’s largest shipbuilding and heavy fabrication company, announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Indian Maritime University (IMU), the country’s premier maritime academic institution. The partnership aims to accelerate maritime education, research, and skill development, and prepare the next generation of professionals for career opportunities across India’s growing shipbuilding and heavy fabrication sectors.
The MoU was signed by Rajeev Nayyer, Advisor at SDHI, and Cmde. K. D. Joshi, Controller of Examinations at IMU, in the presence of Rajesh Kumar Sinha, IAS, Special Secretary, Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW), Dr. Malini V. Shankar, IAS (Retd.) Vice‑Chancellor of IMU, and other dignitaries. The ceremony took place during a thematic session hosted by IMU at its Chennai campus recently. The session served as a precursor to the mega global event India Maritime Week (IMW) 2025 by the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways.
This strategic partnership is aimed at strengthening India’s vision of becoming a global leader in the maritime sector while generating employment opportunities and fostering a highly skilled workforce. The collaboration aligns with SDHI’s commitment to advance indigenous shipbuilding capabilities and meet the evolving demands of the global maritime industry.
As part of the partnership, SDHI and IMU will set up and develop specialised Centres of Excellence covering training, research and innovation in shipbuilding and naval architecture sectors at India’s largest shipyard and IMU campuses. SDHI shall engage its shipyard to provide hands-on industrial training to students at the maritime university. To integrate academic excellence with practical industrial exposure, the partners will create industry-aligned training and research programmes. SDHI and IMU will also explore joint initiatives with educational institutes, vocational training providers, and government departments to advance skill development in line with India’s maritime vision.
On the signing of the MoU, Rajeev Nayyer, Advisor, Swan Defence and Heavy Industries, said, “We believe that India’s maritime future rests on a strong foundation of talent and technology. This partnership combines IMU’s academic expertise with SDHI’s industrial strength to create world-class platforms for training, research, and innovation. Together, we aim to nurture the next generation of maritime and shipbuilding professionals who will drive India’s self-reliance and global competitiveness in this sector.”
