PM Inaugurates Global Maritime India Summit 2023 in Mumbai

Padmesh Prabhune

Photos take from Jaggu

The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi inaugurated the third edition of the Global Maritime India Summit 2023 in Mumbai via video conferencing on Tuesday 17th October.
Shri Sarbanand Sonowal, Hon’ble Union Minister MoPSW, welcomed the gracious online presence of the Prime Minister on the occasion, highlighting India’s achievements in propelling itself as a leader in the global maritime industry under the guidance of the Prime Minister.
Addressing the gathering, the Prime Minister welcomed everyone to the 3rd edition of the Global Maritime India Summit 2023. Shri Modi informed that the government is taking major steps to enhance economic productivity by making the logistics sector more efficient and effective.
“The Government’s vision of ‘Ports for Prosperity and Ports for Progress’ is bringing transformational changes at the ground level”, the Prime Minister said as he noted that the mantra of ‘Ports for Productivity’ is also being encouraged.
“India is going to become one of the top five ship-building nations in the coming decade. Our Mantra is ‘Make in India – Make for the world’”.
He informed that the government is working to bring together all stakeholders in the sector through maritime clusters. Ship-building and repair centers will be developed in many places. He mentioned that India is already at second place in the field of ship recycling. He also informed about the effort to make the major ports in India carbon-neutral via a net-zero strategy for the sector. “We are moving towards a future where the Blue Economy will be the medium to create a Green Planet”.
The Prime Minister also unveiled ‘Amrit Kaal Vision 2047’, a blueprint for the Indian maritime blue economy; outlining strategic initiatives aimed at enhancing port facilities, promoting sustainable practices, and facilitating international collaboration.
In line with this futuristic plan, the Prime Minister inaugurated, dedicated to the nation and laid the foundation stone for projects worth more than Rs 23,000 crores that are aligned with the ‘Amrit Kaal Vision 2047’.
During the programme, the Prime Minister laid the foundation stone of Tuna Tekra all-weather deep draft terminal, to be built at a cost of more than Rs 4,500 crores at Deendayal Port Authority in Gujarat. This state-of-the-art greenfield terminal will be developed in PPP mode. The terminal, which is likely to emerge as an international trade hub, will handle next-gen vessels exceeding 18,000 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) and will act as a gateway for Indian trade via the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEEC). The Prime Minister also dedicated more than 300 Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) worth more than 7 lakh crore for global and national partnerships in the maritime sector. Underscoring the role of sea routes in global trade, the Prime Minister emphasized the need for a reliable global supply chain in the post-Corona world.
Concluding the address, the Prime Minister remarked that India is one of the few countries having a combination of Development, Demography, Democracy and Demand, and investors should avail this opportunity for successful businesses.
Setting the tone for the inaugural session earlier in the day Shri T K Ramachandran Secretary, Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways in his opening remarks highlighted the significant strides made by the country in the maritime sector, and further alluded to many opportunities for the stakeholder to connect, collaborate and create. This was followed by a welcome speech by Shri Subrakant Panda, President FICCI.
Speaking on behalf of the galaxies of representatives from over 19 countries present, Shri Nimal D’Silva, Minister of Ports, Shipping and Aviation, Govt of SriLanka, thanked the Indian government for inviting everyone. D’Silva not only lauded the growth of the Indian maritime sector but also expressed interest in exchanging ideas and discussions with neighboring countries on the collective progress of the maritime industry, mentioning “building equal opportunities is the need of the hour.”
Shri Eknath Shinde, Hon’ble Chief Minister, Maharashtra, highlighted the importance of the maritime sector in the growth of India, emphasizing the progress of Mumbai as a port city.
Shri Ramesh Bais, Hon’ble Governor of Maharashtra, welcomed all the national and international delegates to Mumbai and acknowledged tapping further the growth opportunities in the maritime sector for the betterment of the nation.
Underscoring its huge national importance, the inaugural session was also attended by the Union Minister of State for Ports, Shipping & Waterways and Tourism, Shri Shripad Naik, Shri Pramod Sawant, Chief Minister Goa; along with 19 state ministers from 14 states / UTs and over 14 Ministers from 12 countries.

Shri Rajiv Jalota, IAS, Chairman, Mumbai Port Authority delivered the Vote of Thanks.
The three-day summit organized in association with FICCI is the biggest maritime event in the country to witness the participation of Ministers from across the globe, representing countries from Europe, Africa, South America, and Asia (including central Asia, Middle East and the BIMSTEC region). The summit is also to be attended by Global CEOs, Business leaders, Investors, Officials, and other stakeholders worldwide.

Several Indian states are also be represented at the summit by the Ministers and other dignitaries.

Over the next 3 days the summit will discuss and deliberate key issues of the maritime sector, including ports of the future; decarbonisation; coastal shipping and inland water transportation; shipbuilding; repair and recycling; finance, insurance & arbitration; maritime clusters; innovation & technology; maritime safety and security; and maritime tourism, among others. The summit provides an excellent platform for attracting investment in the country’s maritime sector.
The first Maritime India summit was held in 2016 in Mumbai while the Second Maritime Summit was held virtually in 2021.
-Marex Media