PM Modi Unveils Bold Maritime Vision at India Maritime Week 2025

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said India is emerging as a global maritime powerhouse, driven by sweeping reforms, record investments, and a long-term blue economy vision aimed at transforming coastal and port-led growth.

Addressing the Maritime Leaders Conclave and chairing the Global Maritime CEO Forum during India Maritime Week 2025 in Mumbai, the Prime Minister said India’s maritime sector “is advancing with great speed and energy,” adding that the country’s ports are now “among the most efficient in the developing world.”

Reforms Anchored in Modernisation

PM Modi announced that India has replaced over a century-old colonial maritime framework with modern, 21st-century legislation that strengthens safety, sustainability, and ease of doing business.

Under the new Merchant Shipping Act and Coastal Shipping Act, port management is being digitised, maritime boards empowered, and documentation streamlined under a One Nation, One Port process.

“We have replaced colonial shipping laws with modern, futuristic ones. This reform will strengthen India’s position as a global maritime hub,” the Prime Minister said.

India’s Maritime Achievements

Listing major accomplishments, PM Modi highlighted that:

Vizhinjam Port, India’s first deep-water transshipment hub, is now operational and handled the world’s largest container vessel recently.

Kandla Port has launched India’s first megawatt-scale green hydrogen facility.

JNPT’s Bharat Mumbai Container Terminal Phase-2 is now operational, doubling capacity with India’s largest FDI in port infrastructure.

Cargo movement through inland waterways has grown 700% in a decade, with operational waterways expanding from 3 to 32.

The number of Indian seafarers has more than doubled to over 3 lakh, making India one of the top three global seafaring nations.

PM Modi also announced a ₹70,000 crore investment in India’s shipbuilding industry, granting infrastructure status to large vessels to unlock new financing and credit avenues, generate millions of jobs, and build modern shipyards.

Vision for the Future

Emphasising India’s commitment to global supply chain resilience, the Prime Minister announced the construction of a ₹76,000 crore mega port at Vadhavan, Maharashtra, as part of a plan to quadruple major port capacity.
He reiterated India’s commitment to 100% FDI in ports and shipping, inviting global investors to participate in the nation’s maritime expansion.

“When the global seas are rough, the world looks for a steady lighthouse. India is poised to play that role—with strength and stability,” Modi said, underscoring India’s strategic autonomy amid shifting global supply chains.

Sonowal Praises Modi’s Vision

Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal credited Modi’s leadership for transforming the sector, saying: “Today, India stands as one of the most attractive destinations for global maritime investors—not merely because of incentives, but because there is clear and stable leadership that has placed maritime development at the core of national progress.”

Sonowal added that India aims to make one in every five global seafarers Indian by 2030, expand cruise tourism tenfold, and strengthen green, multimodal logistics as part of the Maritime Amrit Kaal Vision 2047.

India Maritime Week 2025

Organised under the theme “Uniting Oceans, One Maritime Vision,” India Maritime Week 2025 brings together over 1 lakh delegates from 85 countries, 500 exhibitors, and 350 speakers. The event showcases India’s roadmap to becoming a global maritime hub through sustainable, technology-driven growth in ports, shipping, and the blue economy.

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