Shipping Corporation of India (SCI) today said it plans to buy 40 more ships and double its shipping tonnage to 10 million tonnes by 2012.
The company is also in talks with several Korean companies for setting up world-class shipbuilding yards.
"Our plan is definitely to grow SCI to at least to about 10 million tonnes (GRT-gross registered tonnage) by ordering another about 40 ships in the rest years of five year plan," SCI Chairman and Managing Director S Hajara told reporters here on the sidelines of a function.
About shipbuilding yards, he said: "We are very keen on shipbuilding yards. We are in talks with a number of Korean companies... We hope that there is a great future in India for shipbuilding and we want to be a part of that... And become a maritime player rather than a shipping company."
This might take time as every promoter for shipbuilding today is going slightly low because suddenly ship owners have stopped ordering ships, Hajara said adding that there were no talks with Japanese companies.
The company has deferred its plans to acquire eight large vessels including four very large crude carriers (VLCC) and four capesize vessels at a cost of one billion dollar to the next fiscal in the wake of economic meltdown.
