At SMM 2026 in Hamburg, Secretary, Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Vijay Kumar and the Indian delegation held a bilateral meeting with Arnout Damen, CEO, Damen Shipyards Group, on expanding Damen's engagement with India's growing shipbuilding ecosystem. The discussion explored potential participation in India's greenfield shipbuilding clusters, partnerships with established Indian yards for brownfield expansion and technology upgradation, and collaboration under the Green Tug Transition Programme.

Both sides also discussed how Damen's expertise in specialised vessels, standardised series-built designs and shipyard development could support India's requirements for green tugs, dredgers and other advanced vessels. The meeting was followed by the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between Damen Shipyards and GRSE, marking an important step towards deeper industrial, design and technology cooperation in India's maritime sector.