The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) recently hosted its first Shipbuilding, Indigenisation & IT Conference in Madikeri, Karnataka, marking a key step in advancing India’s maritime capabilities.

A major highlight was the signing of an MoU between the ICG, the Coimbatore District Small Industries Association and the Defence Innovation & Atal Incubation Centre to drive innovation and strengthen indigenisation through the Defence Innovation Hub at Coimbatore.

DG Paramesh Sivamani underscored the importance of indigenous design, resilient supply chains and digital infrastructure, while noting progress on the 200th indigenously built vessel, now undergoing sea trials. He also reviewed Project Digital Coast Guard and released key documents, including an AI roadmap and the ICG Cyber Crisis Management Plan-2025.

The conference brought together shipyards, manufacturers and domain experts, fostering collaboration to support Aatmanirbhar Bharat and the ICG’s digital transformation.