Kongsberg Maritime has opened a new facility in Kochi, India, as part of a strategic drive to enhance customer support and prepare for future assembly of its waterjet products.

Delegates attending the special opening ceremony included Norway’s Ambassador to India, May-Elin Stener, Bejoy Bhasker, Director (Technical), Cochin Shipyard, and senior officials from the Indian Navy and Coastguard.

Located in the Maritime Park adjacent to Cochin Shipyard's International Ship Repair Facility (ISRF), the new Kongsberg Maritime facility will provide local specialist technical support for newbuilding and other projects undertaken within the Cochin Shipyard, and general support for customers in the Kochi region.

Future plans include further expansion and investment to enable the assembly and overhaul of Kongsberg Maritime’s range of Kamewa waterjets, as part of a strategic move to support the Indian Government’s ‘Make in India’ strategy to develop more home-grown capability across a range of industries.

The newly established team will include Service Engineers, providing technical support for the wide range of products in the Kongsberg Maritime portfolio, including propulsion, handling and navigation systems.

Kongsberg Maritime has a long and established relationship with Cochin Shipyard, and has an extensive customer base in India, including through the provision of mission-critical equipment to the Indian Navy and Indian Coastguard, and a range of commercial customers.

The KONGSBERG Group employs around 500 people in India, across defense and maritime, with 150 currently working in Mumbai for the Kongsberg Maritime business. India is also an important country for the company’s supply chain, including supply of all major steel castings for the Kamewa waterjets sold worldwide.