Samsung Heavy dismisses Indian shipbuilding tech

Samsung Heavy Industries president Park Dae-young reportedly talked down Indian shipbuilding capabilities after meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi, visiting Seoul on Tuesday.

“India’s shipbuilding technology lags far behind South Korea’s. It’s too early to worry about shipbuilding technology being leaked,” Park told reporters after the meeting in a Seoul hotel.

India’s state-run shipping company Cochin Shipyard recently inked a deal with Samsung Heavy to win a tender issued by Gail, India’s state-owned natural gas processing and distribution firm.

The tender came with a caveat that three of the nine carriers must be made at local yards, a factor that has discouraged foreign bidders from participation due to technology leak concerns.

“Indian shipbuilders have never built large vessels before,” Park said, underestimating their capability. “Just by handing them the floor plans, they cannot follow what we have achieved in the past 30 years overnight.”