New Delhi, June 24 -- The Centre's ambitious plan to position India among the world's leading shipbuilding nations is starting to deliver results, with domestic shipyards securing export orders from global shipping companies and international shipbuilders exploring investments in new manufacturing clusters across the country, shipping secretary Vijay Kumar said in an exclusive interview with Mint.

Last year the government unveiled a comprehensive Rs.70,000-crore shipbuilding package aimed at addressing both supply-side constraints and demand visibility in the sector. The package rests on four pillars-capacity expansion of shipyards, the Shipbuilding Financial Assistance Scheme (SBFAS), the Maritime Development Fund (MDF), and legislative...