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“India is becoming a major maritime power and is being recognised as a reliable and responsible partner—ready to play the role of a steady lighthouse for the world.”          Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India Maritime Week 2025

At the five-day India Maritime Week, themed “Uniting Oceans, One Maritime Vision,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi outlined an expansive vision for India’s maritime resurgence. Against a backdrop of global trade disruptions and shifting supply chains, the Prime Minister positioned India as a “steady lighthouse”—a nation defined by reliability, resilience, and reform.

“When the global seas are rough, the world looks for a steady lighthouse. India is well poised to play that role with strength and stability,” he said, calling the current moment “the right time to work and expand in India’s shipping sector.”

Over the past decade, India’s maritime sector has undergone a historic transformation. Major port capacity has doubled, turnaround time for vessels has fallen from 96 to 48 hours, and container dwell time has been cut to less than three days—on par with some of the world’s best-performing ports.

Cruise tourism has gathered momentum, while inland waterways have witnessed a remarkable 700% growth in cargo movement, expanding from just three operational routes to thirty-two. “India’s ports,” Modi said, “are now counted among the most efficient in the developing world—in some areas, even outperforming those in developed nations.”

The net annual surplus of Indian ports has grown ninefold in a decade, while Kandla Port has launched India’s first megawatt-scale indigenous green hydrogen facility, underlining the government’s commitment to sustainability and innovation.

India’s maritime rise, the Prime Minister emphasized, is not a coincidence but the result of policy reform and strategic clarity. “We have replaced over a century-old colonial shipping laws with modern, futuristic legislation tailored for the 21st century,” he said. “These laws strengthen the role of State Maritime Boards, prioritise safety and sustainability, and promote digital integration in port management.”

The government’s ₹70,000-crore four-pillar maritime strategy reflects this forward-looking approach. It includes:

Shipbuilding Financial Assistance Scheme (SBFAS) – ₹24,700 crore to boost domestic capacity.

National Shipbuilding Mission – promoting research, innovation, and skill development.

Maritime Development Fund (MDF) – ₹25,000 crore for logistics and coastal infrastructure.

Shipbuilding Development Scheme (SbDS) – ₹20,000 crore for modernization and sustainability.

To support these initiatives, five landmark legislations—collectively called the Maritime Reform Acts, 2025—modernize the country’s maritime ecosystem. These include the Merchant Shipping Act, Coastal Shipping Act, Carriage of Goods by Sea Act, Bills of Lading Act, and Indian Ports Act, all rewritten to promote safety, transparency, and efficiency.

For the first time, large vessels have been classified as infra-structure assets, improving financing options and reducing borrowing costs for ship owners. This, Modi noted, “will make Indian shipbuilding globally competitive and attract private investment.”

The year 2025 has already become a milestone: India’s first deep-water international transhipment hub at Vizhinjam Port has become operational, with the world’s largest container vessel docking there—a powerful symbol of India’s arrival as a global maritime player. The upcoming Vadhavan Port in Maharashtra, with an investment of ₹76,000 crore, will further boost India’s global cargo capacity.

India’s maritime journey began with Sagarmala, a flagship initiative that has mobilized over ₹6 lakh crore for port modernization, coastal logistics, and connectivity projects. Today, India’s ports handle over 1.5 billion tonnes of cargo annually, and the Maritime India Vision 2030 aims to triple this capacity by the end of the decade.

Private participation—led by Adani Ports, JSW Infrastructure, and DP World—has been instrumental in digitizing cargo operations, deploying automation, and improving efficiency. As logistics costs still hover around 13–14% of GDP compared to China’s 8–9%, these advancements are critical if India is to compete as a global manufacturing hub.

Beyond infrastructure, Modi pointed to India’s Blue Economy as the next growth wave—a model that integrates economic progress with environmental stewardship. “The next 25 years are critical,” he said. “Our focus is on the Blue Economy and sustainable coastal development.”

The ocean is no longer a boundary—it is a bridge to opportunity. With 7,500 km of coastline, 12 major ports, and a 2.37-million sq. km Exclusive Economic Zone, India’s maritime geography is now seen as a growth driver rather than a geographical fact.

The Blue Economy Policy Framework aims for the ocean sector to contribute up to 10% of GDP by 2047. The India–Middle East–Europe Economic Corridor, Modi said, will redefine global trade flows, linking clean energy, smart logistics, and sustainable transport.

The maritime opportunity extends beyond trade. India’s fisheries and aquaculture sector, employing nearly 16 million people, is being transformed under the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY), which targets $12 billion in seafood exports by 2025 through digitalisation and modern aquaculture practices.

Simultaneously, the Deep Ocean Mission, with an outlay of ₹4,077 crore, is advancing research in seabed mining, biodiversity, and underwater robotics, while offshore wind energy—especially off Gujarat and Tamil Nadu—targets 30 GW of capacity by 2030 in collaboration with European and Japanese partners.

India’s maritime transformation is being driven by innovation. Startups are infusing sustainability and technology 

into age-old sectors. AquaConnect, for instance, uses AI to guide small aquaculture farmers, improving yields and market access. Planys Technologies, a deep-tech startup from IIT Madras, develops underwater drones for inspecting ports, dams, and oil rigs.

Supported by Startup India and the Atal Innovation Mission, these ventures represent a new generation of “blue entre-preneurs” who are redefining sustainability as sound business. The government is also promoting maritime clusters, innovation funds, and incubation centres for ocean-based industries.

A secure ocean economy demands strong maritime defence. India’s growing naval footprint in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) ensures that trade routes, energy flows, and undersea data cables remain protected. Initiatives like SAGAR

(Security and Growth for All in the Region) and the Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI) combine strategic outreach with economic collaboration.

India’s naval exercises—Konkan with the UK and Malabar with the US, Japan, and Australia—reflect a broader maritime diplomacy that blends commerce, climate cooperation, and collective security. Modi also underlined India’s commitment to supporting Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and Least Developed Countries (LDCs) through maritime capacity-building and technology sharing.

The Prime Minister was clear that growth must align with environmental responsibility. Overfishing, marine pollution, and coastal erosion threaten livelihoods, but India’s

Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) norms and the Swachh Sagar, Surakshit Sagar campaign aim to balance development with conservation.

India’s ports are becoming greener, adopting LNG-based vessels, solar power, and waste-to-wealth models. The rise of blue finance—investments linked to sustainable ocean outcomes—is redefining ESG in the maritime context. “India’s progress,” Modi said, “must be sustainable, inclusive, and future-ready.”

According to the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister, India’s Blue Economy could become a $1-trillion sector by 2047 if policy, innovation, and sustainability continue in alignment.

If the 1990s liberalization opened India’s land economy, the 2020s are opening its sea economy—turning coastlines into engines of growth and opportunity.

As Modi concluded, India’s maritime resurgence is not just about reclaiming a glorious past—it is about anchoring the nation’s global future in the strength of its seas. 

- The author is a special correspondent and feature writer focusing on business strategy, social enterprise, and emerging economic trends in India.