India Maritime Week 2025 Sets Sail In Mumbai
By A Draft Correspondent
Union Home Minister Amit Shah, in a powerful declaration of intent, inaugurated the India Maritime Week 2025 (IMW 2025) in Mumbai on October 27, transforming the international gathering into a springboard for India’s ₹80 lakh crore maritime transformation strategy. Describing it as “India’s maritime moment,” Shah announced a sweeping vision to establish the nation as a pre-eminent global maritime power by 2047.
The five-day summit, themed Uniting Oceans, One Maritime Vision, has brought together over a lakh participants from 85 countries, symbolising India’s emergence as a formidable force on the global maritime map.
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| Leaders urged global unity for a sustainable, inclusive blue economy at the IMW 2025 |
At the inaugural session, investment commitments worth ₹10 lakh crore were pledged on the spot, signalling the seriousness with which India is pursuing the Maritime Amrit Kaal Vision 2047. Shah noted that deep structural reforms have positioned the country to harness its 7,500 km coastline and vast maritime potential.
Union Minister of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal elaborated on the central goal — to triple India’s share of global seaborne trade by 2047, rising from its current 10 per cent. The plan involves a fourfold increase in port capacity, development of deep-draft mega ports such as the $10 billion Vadhavan Port—set to rank among the world’s top ten—and a total projected investment of nearly ₹80 lakh crore across shipbuilding, green shipping, and inland waterways infrastructure.
At the heart of this maritime resurgence lies Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s evolved doctrine—MAHASAGAR, an acronym for Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions. Expanding upon the earlier SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region) framework, MAHASAGAR extends India’s maritime vision beyond the Indian Ocean to the wider global stage.
Shah described it as a blueprint for cooperation, not competition, anchoring India as a vital bridge between the Indo-Pacific and the Global South. The doctrine emphasises collective security, stability, self-reliance, and a sustainable blue economy.
Reflecting the government’s commitment, a ₹69,725 crore ($8 billion) package has already been allocated to revive domestic shipbuilding and strengthen the maritime ecosystem, underlining the seriousness of India’s long-term ambitions.
Sonowal backed these assertions with numbers that reflect a decade of transformation. India’s port capacity has nearly doubled to 2,700 million tonnes per annum. Cargo movement on inland waterways has multiplied twentyfold—from 6.9 MMT to over 145 MMT.
Meanwhile, the number of Indian seafarers has surged by 200 per cent to 3.2 lakh, making India one of the top three suppliers of trained maritime professionals globally, accounting for nearly 12 per cent of the world’s seafaring workforce.
A central theme of the event was the focus on a ‘Green Maritime Future’. India held bilateral discussions with nations like the Netherlands and Saudi Arabia to collaborate on green ports, clean fuels such as hydrogen and ammonia, and digital logistics corridors.
The summit’s flagship forum, Sagarmanthan: The Great Oceans Dialogue, further reinforced India’s intent to lead global deliberations on connectivity, sustainability, and ocean governance.
Minister of State for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Shantanu Thakur, underscored India’s commitment to sustainability, innovation, and human resource development. “India is building a smart, sustainable, and globally competitive maritime ecosystem that empowers industry, protects the environment, and connects Bharat to the world,” he stated.
The opening day of India Maritime Week 2025 featured ministerial plenaries, bilateral meetings, and state-led sessions centred on innovation, sustainability, and investment. Three key bilateral discussions were held with Sri Lanka, the Netherlands, and Saudi Arabia to explore partnerships in shipbuilding, green ports, and maritime logistics.
The Plenary Session brought together a distinguished panel of global maritime leaders, including H.E. Anthony Smith Jr. (Antigua and Barbuda), H.E. Magdalene Dagoseh (Liberia), H.E. Dr. Arvin Boolell (Mauritius), H.E. Robert Tieman (Netherlands), H.E. Marianne Sivertsen Næss (Norway), H.E. Anura Karunathilaka (Sri Lanka), H.E. Aung Kyaw Tun (Myanmar), H.E. Dr. Rumaih Al-Rumaih (Saudi Arabia), and Mr. Lee Hyun (South Korea).
The leaders collectively highlighted the importance of global collaboration, sustainable innovation, and shared responsibility in shaping a resilient and inclusive blue economy.
As India steers its ancient maritime legacy into the modern geopolitical tide, the message from Mumbai was clear—India’s maritime moment has arrived, and it is set to chart the course for the century ahead.
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