Sarbananda Sonowal, Japanese Minister Hold Talks to Strengthen Maritime Ties

Union Minister of Ports, Shipping & Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal held a bilateral meeting in Norway on Monday with His Excellency Terada Yoshimichi, Japan’s Vice Minister for International Affairs, and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport & Tourism (MLITT). The meeting aimed to strengthen maritime cooperation between India and Japan through discussions on key areas such as Japanese shipyard investments, port digitisation, green port initiatives, enhanced R&D collaboration, upskilling human resources, and employment opportunities for Indian seafarers in Japan.

The ministers also explored the potential use of sustainable technologies, disaster-resilient infrastructure, and improved connectivity to transform the Andaman & Nicobar and Lakshadweep islands into Smart Islands. Highlighting Japan’s expertise in island development, Sonowal stated, “Japan’s expertise in this area is highly valued. We see scope for joint work in the Andaman & Nicobar and Lakshadweep islands, particularly in deploying renewable energy, smart mobility systems, and digital infrastructure. These initiatives will further our shared commitment to ecological conservation and regional maritime security.”

The dialogue further covered expanding partnerships between Indian and Japanese shipyards, including Greenfield investments such as Imabari Shipbuilding in Andhra Pradesh. Opportunities for co-developing ports and maritime industrial clusters as clean energy hubs were also discussed. Sonowal expressed India’s interest in engaging leading Japanese shipbuilding companies, including Imabari Shipbuilding, JMUC, Kanagawa Dockyard, and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, to explore joint ventures and collaborations with Indian yards.

“Japan’s expertise in shipbuilding and ship repair is well recognised, and I see great scope for collaboration in this area. We also invite Japan’s Big Three maritime companies—NYK Line, MOL, and K Line—to explore joint ventures and investment opportunities in India’s growing maritime sector. With our strong bilateral relationship, India’s growing maritime industry present a unique opportunity for Japanese shipyards to invest in India in shipbuilding. Collaboration on port digitisation and green port initiatives will further strengthen the resilience and sustainability of our maritime logistics network,” said Sonowal.

On the occasion, the Union Minister recalled the longstanding ties between the two nations: “Relations between India and Japan have a long history rooted in spiritual affinity and strong cultural and civilisational ties. Our collaboration under the Quad framework and the India-Japan-Australia Supply Chain Resilience Initiative (SCRI) reflects our shared commitment to strengthening regional maritime security and economic integration. India appreciates Japan’s leadership in key initiatives such as the International Solar Alliance (ISA), Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI), and the Leadership Group for Industry Transition (LeadIT). As India moves ahead to transform its maritime sector under the visionary leadership of Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi ji, India is advancing port infrastructure, green shipping, shipbuilding, and digitalisation under ‘Maritime India Vision 2030’ and ‘Maritime Amrit Kaal Vision 2047’. India seeks Japan’s participation in these transformative initiatives.”

Vice Minister Terada Yoshimichi noted the close relationship between the two countries and Japan’s expanding interest in India’s maritime sector. He stated that while Japan has been actively engaged in India’s railway infrastructure development, it is now “very interested in maritime sector.” The meeting addressed prospects for collaboration in shipbuilding and seafarer training, with the Vice Minister expressing satisfaction over the discussions.

Both sides agreed to deepen cooperation in maritime training, research, and development, with a particular focus on sustainable maritime technologies and next-generation ship design. Sonowal expressed India’s intent to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to establish a collaborative framework involving Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL), Indian universities, and public agencies.

Addressing the human resource dimension, Sonowal emphasized, “India currently has over 154,000 trained seafarers which is capable of support and supplement Japan’s maritime workforce. In order to build capacity with rich maritime knowledge of Japanese maritime sector, we see a great opportunity for Japan’s maritime leaders in training, upskilling, and employing Indian seafarers, strengthening the cornerstone of our maritime cooperation. India is ready and keen to facilitate Japanese maritime player’s interest in training Indian engineers and workers through structured programmes.”

India is also developing the National Maritime Heritage Museum (NMHC) at Lothal, Gujarat, to showcase the country’s rich maritime history and heritage, serving as a global centre for heritage tourism, education, and maritime research. Sonowal expressed India’s interest in involving Japan as a partner in this project and hoped to finalize an MoU soon. He also extended an invitation to Vice Minister Terada Yoshimichi to participate in the India Maritime Week 2025 in Mumbai, scheduled from October 27 to 31, which will convene key stakeholders from the global maritime sector to explore investment and collaboration opportunities.

Following the meeting, Sarbananda Sonowal stated, “The strong & deep Indo Japanese ties are rooted in mutual trust and shared values — democracy, freedom, and civilisational connection. Today’s discussions with His Excellency, Vice Minister Terada Yoshimichi, paved the way to elevate our maritime cooperation further. Japan is one of India’s most trusted investors. We deeply value this relationship. Under Hon’ble PM Narendra Modi ji’s leadership, India aims to scale new heights with a target of five trillion yen (₹3.2 lakh crore) in investments with Japan by 2027. India will work closely with Japan toward a sustainable future, guided by our shared vision of advanced maritime cooperation that contributes meaningfully to global progress & mutual benefit for both countries.”

The meeting was attended by senior officials from both nations including Onishi Yasushi and Hioki Miki from Japan’s MLIT Maritime Bureau, Ihara Takumar, First Secretary at the Embassy of Japan in Norway, and Kimura Hiroko. The Indian delegation included Dr. Acquino Vimal, Ambassador of India to Norway; Venkatesapathy S, Joint Secretary (Shipping), MoPSW; Mandeep Singh Randhawa, Director (MA&MT); Puneet Agarwal, Additional Secretary & Financial Advisor, MoPSW; Madhu S Nair, CMD of Cochin Shipyard Limited; and Amit Kumar, IAS, Private Secretary to the Minister.

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