Covid-hit Alang ship-recycling hub eyes old vehicle scrappage opportunity

The Indian ship recycling industry is also facing competition from Bangladesh and Pakistan which are offering more competitive prices for vessels as well as enjoying better domestic steel prices

Even as a team of officials explores the options of scrapping old vehicles at the country's leading ship breaking and recycling yard at Alang as directed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the local industry is bullish about the opportunity. 

And why not? Having witnessed a sharp fall in the number of vessels docking at the facility during the two-month long Covid-induced lockdown, the Alang-based ship recycling industry near Bhavnagar in Gujarat is looking for a fresh lease of life. 

Before the lockdown, the industry used to see an average of 15-20 vessels arriving for breaking and recycling every month. This