India is transforming its maritime sector through collaborations, with a focus on modernising ports, expanding shipping and inland waterways, and improving skill development. India’s ports now rank among the most efficient in the developing world, supporting a dynamic ecosystem for trade, logistics, coastal and industrial connectivity. Furthermore, international partnerships are accelerating the adoption of clean energy and digital technologies, reducing emissions and enhancing overall operational efficiency. Through these collaborative frameworks, India is firmly establishing itself as a leader in sustainable maritime development, setting new benchmarks for decarbonisation and digital integration across the industry.
Moving towards global leadership
India’s maritime sector is experiencing significant growth, which has fostered numerous national and international partnerships and attracted substantial investment. During the entire India Maritime Week 2025, record investments exceeding Rs 12 trillion were secured, marking a landmark moment for India’s maritime sector, as it moves closer to becoming a global maritime powerhouse. Nearly 20 per cent of this massive investment focus was on shipbuilding, underscoring the country’s ambition to rank among the top five shipbuilding nations by 2047. The investments, spanning key regions and diverse maritime sectors, underscore a robust national commitment to shipbuilding, port expansions, technological upgrades and green initiatives that will shape India’s maritime landscape in the future.
In Tamil Nadu, the V.O. Chidambaranar Port Authority has signed 29 MoUs with various stakeholders, totalling Rs 909.36 billion. These agreements focus on port modernisation, shipbuilding, information technology, sustainability and other services. Besides, the Chennai Port Authority (CPA) proposed an ambitious Rs 80 billion outer harbour project on nearly 90 hectares of reclaimed land, situated between the fishing harbour and Bharathi Dock. This project aims to significantly increase port capacity and accommodate ultra-large vessels with significant container handling capabilities. The CPA’s subsidiary, Kamarajar Port, also pursued separate agreements amounting to about Rs 150 billion related to port expansions and ancillary infrastructure.
Maharashtra also emerged as a hotspot for maritime investments, with 15 MoUs totalling about Rs 560 billion. These agreements spanned port expansions, shipyard development, maritime technology upgrades and ancillary maritime services. The largest share came from Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone Limited, which committed around Rs 425 billion for the expansion of Dighi Port and adjoining industrial facilities. JSW Infrastructure committed Rs 37.09 billion for enhancing Jaigarh and Dharamtar ports. Shipbuilding investments were further bolstered by Chowgule and Company’s Rs 50 billion shipyard project, alongside Goa Shipyard (Rs 20 billion), Synergy Shipbuilders (Rs 10 billion), Knowledge Marine & Engineering Works (Rs 2.5 billion), and TSA Enterprises (Rs 10 billion), all advancing new shipbuilding and repair yards along the country’s coast. Maharashtra also unveiled innovative projects, including a water taxi linking Navi Mumbai International Airport with South Mumbai and plans for a modern marina to boost water transport and sports. The maritime push includes workforce skilling, centres for technological excellence and clean maritime initiatives.
In Eastern India, Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port, Kolkata, signed MoUs surpassing Rs 480 billion, aimed for infrastructure expansion and port-led growth. Notable collaborations included a long-term dredging agreement with the Dredging Corporation of India to improve harbour capacity and maintenance, a major investment by Haldia Petrochemicals Limited in tank farms and petroleum infrastructure at Haldia Dock, and partnerships with Adani Ports, JSW Infrastructure and Century Ports for new container terminal projects under public-private partnership (PPP) models. Other agreements involved UltraTech Cement building a bulk terminal at Kolkata Dock and real estate collaborations to develop the riverfront with firms such as Srijan Real Estate and Eden Realtors.
Gujarat’s maritime sector witnessed a Rs 170 billion MoU between the Gujarat Maritime Board and Gujarat Pipavav Port Limited, focusing on infrastructure expansion at Pipavav Port. This included container, liquid, bulk and roll-on/roll-off cargo capacities, alongside green eco-friendly infrastructure and digital operational upgrades, expected to generate some 25,000 jobs and boost Gujarat’s vision as India’s maritime gateway.
Odisha’s Paradip Port Authority has signed five major MoUs, totalling over Rs 23 billion, to enhance connectivity, coastal tourism, logistics and green energy. Projects included a Rs 5 billion cruise terminal in Puri with the Odisha Maritime Board, a Rs 10 billion rail project for Bahuda Port’s connectivity, a Rs 3 billion maritime museum and logistics park, a Rs 2.8 billion import/export cargo initiative with Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative and a Rs 2.63 billion green hydrogen mobility project with NTPC Limited.
Together, these landmark investments represent concerted efforts to modernise India’s maritime ecosystem, fostering economic growth, technological excellence and sustainable development, aligned with India’s long-term maritime ambitions.
Strategic partnerships
Securing an efficient and resilient maritime supply chain requires collaboration across governments, private sector, financiers and technology leaders. Such partnerships facilitate the scalability of investment, knowledge transfer and speed up policy coordination across regulatory umbrellas, enabling maritime hubs to emerge as connective bridges between global markets and sustainable economic growth.
India has recently taken a major step toward fostering such collaboration by launching its Green and Digital Shipping Corridors (GDSCs) with global maritime hubs such as Singapore and Rotterdam. These corridors are dedicated clean energy trade routes, designed to accelerate sustainable maritime trade by facilitating the use of green hydrogen, electro fuels and zero-emission trucking, positioning maritime shipping on a path to carbon neutrality. The GDSC was officially formalised through a letter of intent signed in March 2025, followed by deeper cooperation agreements. This strategic partnership is geared toward accelerating maritime digitalisation and decarbonisation, with both nations working closely with industry partners to develop infrastructure and technologies supporting near-zero greenhouse gas emission fuels. India leverages its robust renewable energy capacity and industrial base to produce alternative marine fuels, while Singapore brings its expertise as a major hub port with established bunkering operations and a growing ecosystem for maritime innovation.
Similarly, India’s GDSC with Rotterdam, one of Europe’s largest and most advanced ports, builds on a longstanding collaboration with Singapore and aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from container vessels on this key shipping route by 20-30 per cent by 2030. Since the corridor’s inception in 2022, the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore and Rotterdam Port have partnered with 28 stakeholders across the shipping value chain to deploy sustainable fuels such as bio-methane, methanol and ammonia. The ports have also implemented digital solutions that enable efficient and secure exchange of port clearance information, optimising vessel arrival planning and streamlining port operations. Trials of port-to-port data exchanges and ship-to-shore data infrastructure mark significant advancements toward paperless, error-reduced port calls.
These corridors reflect a global trend where decarbonisation and digitalisation go hand-in-hand. For example, pilot projects along the Rotterdam-Singapore corridor have included the world’s first successful bunkering of mass-balanced liquefied bio-methane. Working groups dedicated to each sustainable fuel are pushing research and development to scale up usage, while financial instruments are being designed to overcome cost barriers associated with these emerging fuels. The corridors underscore the vital role of PPPs; coordinated involvement ensures that technology innovations translate rapidly into operational realities.
Beyond fuels and digitalisation, India’s partnerships reach out to a broader maritime cooperation. In collaboration with the Netherlands, India is exploring the application of digital twin technologies and artificial intelligence driven smart port management systems that promise enhanced efficiency by simulating port operations and predictive asset maintenance. The collaboration also extends to inland waterways, where Dutch expertise is being leveraged to improve cargo movement in low-draft rivers such as the Brahmaputra and Barak, highlighting a comprehensive approach to sustainable logistics integration.
India’s unique geographic position along major global trade routes, combined with its domestic strengths in information technology and green fuel production, positions the country as a critical bridge connecting global trade networks and green growth initiatives. Thus, these GDSCs embody a forward-looking vision that combines environmental sustainability, cutting-edge technology and collaborative governance to transform maritime supply chains for the future.
Expanding port-led industrialisation
Port-led industrialisation is emerging as a core strategy to strengthen supply chains globally. It involves clustering industries and logistics infrastructure around ports to reduce transportation costs, increase efficiency and stimulate regional economic growth. By integrating industrial hubs with port facilities, countries enhance their logistical capabilities, reduce the distance between production and shipment, and foster value-added manufacturing.
India has been a pioneer in this approach under the Sagarmala initiative, with 14 projects worth Rs 558.87 billion identified for implementation. Of these, nine projects worth Rs 458.65 billion have been completed and three projects worth Rs 92.47 billion are under implementation. Furthermore, the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways reported that in 2024-25, major Indian ports allocated 962 acres for industrial development via the port system, expected to attract around Rs 687.8 billion in future investments.
The Kerala government is fast-tracking its efforts to promote port-led industrialisation. It has instructed key bodies, including Vizhinjam International Seaport Limited (VISL) and the industries department, to identify at least 3,000 acres of land across Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam and Kochi for developing industrial infrastructure linked to port operations. So far, VISL has earmarked 500 acres and the has about 300 acres, but the state wants to scale this up. Additionally, the government has approved Rs 18.3 million to engage a consultant to prepare a detailed project report for industrial infrastructure around the Vizhinjam Port, covering logistics clusters, container yards, access networks and marine/land support infrastructure. The consultant’s study is expected to be completed within a year.
The vision forward
The maritime sector’s transformation will be driven by visionary policy, significant public and private investments, rapid infrastructure upgrades and pioneering clean and digital shipping programmes. With further advancements in green shipping corridors, digitalisation and international partnerships, India’s maritime sector is on course to anchor sustainable growth and set global benchmarks in the years ahead.
