[Answered] India’s reliance on foreign marine engine suppliers creates technological chokepoints, impacting its strategic autonomy. Analyze the economic and security imperatives of achieving indigenous production in this critical sector, and suggest key policy measures to foster self-reliance and bolster the ‘Blue Economy’.

Introduction

India, with a vast 7,500 km coastline and strategic interests spanning the Indian Ocean Region (IOR), has ambitious maritime goals under the ‘Blue Economy’ and Sagarmala initiatives. However, the country’s overdependence on foreign marine engine suppliers — with over 90% of >6 MW engines imported from five global players — has created a significant technological chokepoint. This undermines India’s economic self-reliance and naval strategic autonomy.

Economic and Strategic Imperatives

1. Strategic Autonomy and National Security: Marine engines are central to both commercial and naval vessels. India’s dependence on a foreign oligopoly for engines embeds vulnerabilities into defence readiness. Licensing restrictions, software locks, and proprietary diagnostics expose naval assets to foreign control, violating the spirit of Atmanirbhar Bharat. Export control regimes like the US EAR or EU Dual-Use Regulation further tighten the risk.
2. Supply Chain Disruption and Cost Vulnerability: Any disruption in trade ties or global crises — such as during the COVID-19 pandemic — can stall ship production or maintenance cycles, leading to cost overruns and delays in both civilian and defence shipbuilding.
3. Import Bill and Economic Leakage: Marine engines contribute 15–20% of a ship’s cost. As India seeks to become a top-five shipbuilding nation by 2047, continuing to import such a critical subsystem undermines domestic value capture, leading to long-term foreign exchange outflows.
4. Blue Economy and Regional Leadership: Under the Blue Economy vision, marine transport, fisheries, offshore renewables, and deep-sea exploration are key sectors. Indigenous marine engine capability will help India export complete ships and services to Indian Ocean nations, thus asserting maritime leadership.

Challenges to Indigenous Capability

1. Design Deficiency: India lacks proprietary engine architecture meeting IMO Tier III standards and fuel-flexible needs (e.g., LNG, hydrogen, methanol).
2. Material Science Limitations: The absence of industrial capacity in nickel-based superalloys and thermal-stable composites hampers durability under marine conditions.
3. Tribology and Precision Engineering Gaps: Sophisticated tribological coatings and CNC machining tools are underdeveloped, impeding large-scale production.
4. Training and R&D Disconnect: Outdated curriculum and lack of industry-academic synergy prevent workforce readiness.

Policy Measures for Self-Reliance

1. Launch a Marine Engine Technology Mission (METM): Similar to the DRDO-GTRE Kaveri project, a dedicated mission can focus on developing 6–30 MW marine engines, with targets for both military and commercial sectors.
2. Public Procurement Guarantees: Ministries of Defence and Shipping should mandate procurement of domestically developed engines once certified, ensuring demand for local players.
3. R&D and Startup Incentivization: Design-linked incentives (DLIs), a Marine Engine Innovation Fund, and testbed facilities (e.g., at IIT Madras or Cochin Shipyard) should be rolled out to support deep-tech startups in propulsion systems.
4. Indigenous Metallurgy Development: Collaboration with BARC, ARCI, and CSIR-NML can fast-track the development of high-performance marine alloys and thermal coatings.
5. Maritime Skill Modernisation: Modern marine engines (e.g., from Alang ship-breaking yards) should be retrofitted into technical institutes for training and reverse engineering.
6. International Collaborations for Tech Transfer: Strategic partnerships with friendly nations (e.g., South Korea) for co-development or licensing under ‘Make in India’ can bridge short-term gaps.

Conclusion

Indigenous marine engine production is not just an economic necessity but a strategic imperative for a rising maritime power. To truly sail under its own command, India must develop a propulsion ecosystem that secures national security, enhances technological sovereignty, and anchors its ambitions in the Blue Economy. Without engines built in India, our ships risk drifting under foreign shadows, even if they fly the tricolour.