The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) on Thursday held high-level discussions with an Italian delegation, including representatives from Fincantieri, to explore collaboration in shipbuilding and advanced maritime technologies.
The interaction, held at Coast Guard Headquarters in New Delhi, focused on potential partnerships with Indian shipyards for future projects, with an emphasis on enhancing vessel capabilities and operational efficiency. Key design features discussed included resilient hulls suited for rough sea conditions, improved bollard pull, integrated firefighting systems, and hybrid or electric propulsion technologies.
Officials from both sides also explored the concept of modular ship design, aimed at enabling multi-role platforms that can be rapidly adapted for different operational requirements.
A major focus of the dialogue was on indigenous development and co-development of niche technologies in line with the government’s Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiative. Areas of cooperation under consideration include dynamic positioning systems, advanced thrusters, artificial intelligence-enabled decision support systems, counter-unmanned aerial systems (C-UAS), and next-generation green propulsion solutions.
The meeting highlighted a shared commitment to strengthening maritime capabilities and fostering innovation in defence shipbuilding. It also served as a platform to align future collaboration with India’s evolving maritime security priorities.
The delegation called on Director General of the Indian Coast Guard, Paramesh Sivamani, and included Anna Ruffino, Counselor and Head of the Economics and Innovation Department at the Embassy of Italy, as well as Eugenio Santagata, Head of the Military Naval Vessel Division at Fincantieri.
