NEW DELHI, Feb. 22 -- Domestic shipbuilder and fabricator Swan Defence and Heavy Industries (SDHI) is exploring a collaboration with South Korea's Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI) to build complex commercial vessels at its Pipavav yard in Gujarat, as India pushes to scale up shipbuilding capacity.

In an interview with Mint, SDHI chief executive officer Vipin Kumar Saxena said the companies plan to cooperate initially on medium-range (MR) product tankers and potentially very large gas carriers (VLGCs), with Samsung providing designs and engineering support.

"We will start by working together on specific ships (MR tankers and VLGCs). Once we execute these successfully and build confidence, the relationship can evolve further," Saxena said i...