Overview of India Maritime Week 2025 Held from October 27 to 31, 2025, in Mumbai, Maharashtra – Part I

The India Maritime Week (IMW) 2025, organized by Indian Ports Association (IPA) and hosted by Ministry of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways (MoPSW), was held from October 27 to 31, 2025, at NESCO Exhibition Centre in Mumbai, Maharashtra.

• The event was inaugurated by Union Minister Amit Shah, Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), Ministry of Cooperation.
•  IMW 2025 was held under the theme titled “Uniting Oceans, One Maritime Vision”.

Highlights of India Maritime Week 2025:

Key Events: During the India Maritime Week (IMW) 2025, several key events were organized, including the 4th Global Maritime India Summit (4th GMIS), 2nd Sagarmanthan (Chintan Shivir on Ports and Shipping), Green Maritime Day (GMD), Global Maritime CEO Forum (GMCEF), QUAD Ports of the Future Partnership (QPFP), and the UNESCAP Dialogue — United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) Asia-Pacific Regional Dialogue on Sustainable Maritime Development.

Participation: The event witnessed participation from more than 100,000 participants from 85 countries, over 500 exhibitors, 350 speakers, and 12 concurrent conferences and exhibitions.

• Indian Dignitaries: Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, MoPSW; Union Minister of State (MoS) Shantanu Thakur, MoPSW; Chief Minister (CM) of Maharashtra, Devendra Fadnavis; CM of Gujarat, Bhupendrabhai Patel; CM of Goa, Dr Pramod Sawant, and the CM of Odisha, Mohan Saran Majhi, were also participated at the event.
• Global Leaders: The event saw participation from global leaders, including Anthony Smith (Minister of Works, Antigua and Barbuda), Magdalene Dagoseh (Transport Minister, Liberia), Dr. Arvin Boolell (Foreign Affairs Minister, Mauritius), Robert Tieman (Infrastructure Minister, Netherlands), Marianne Sivertsen Naess (Fisheries Minister, Norway), Anura Karunathilaka (Ports and Shipping Minister, Sri Lanka), Aung Kyaw Tun (Deputy Transport Minister, Myanmar), Rumaih Al-Rumaih (Transport Minister, Saudi Arabia), and Lee Hyum (Vice Oceans Minister, South Korea).

Alignment: A global maritime event aligned with Maritime India Vision (MIV) 2030 2030 and Maritime Amrit Kaal Vision(MAKV) 2047, highlighting India’s vision for sustainable, digital, and resilient port-led growth.

2nd Sagarmanthan: The Great Oceans Dialogue:

As part of the IMW 2025, the 2nd edition of “Sagarmanthan: The Great Oceans Dialogue”, organized by MoPSW, was held from October 27 to 31, 2025, in Mumbai.

Theme: The 2025 event was held under the theme “Harnessing the Blue Economy for a Sustainable Future”.

Focus: The event served as a premier international platform for discussions on marine ecology, blue economy innovation, ocean governance, climate resilience, and maritime security.

Global Maritime India Summit 2025(GMIS 2025)

Event : The 4th GMIS held during IMW 2025 at the NESCO Exhibition Centre, Mumbai.

Objective: The summit aims to bring together global maritime stakeholders, governments, investors, ports, shipping, inland/coastal waterways, and ship-building/repair sectors to exchange ideas and showcase maritime reforms.

Green Maritime Day (GMD) 2025:

GMD: On October 28, 2025, the Research and Maritime Innovations (RMI), National Centre of Excellence in Green Ports and Shipping (NCOEGPS), and Lloyd’s Register (LR) collaborated with the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW) to host GMD as part of  IMW 2025.

Focus: The event featured discussions on sustainable maritime operations, focusing on green shipping corridors, green-fuel export and bunkering hubs, zero-emission trucks, maritime pollution control, and shore-power integration for cleaner port operations.

UNESCAP Asia-Pacific Regional Dialogue on Sustainable Maritime Connectivity :

Event: The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) Asia-Pacific Regional Dialogue on Sustainable Maritime Connectivity was held from 28 – 29 October 2025 in Mumbai.

Purpose: It convened regional maritime stakeholders to enhance resilient and sustainable maritime connectivity across the Asia-Pacific and to address emerging uncertainties.

Organisers: The Dialogue was organised by UNESCAP in partnership with India’s Ministry of Ports, Shipping & Waterways(MopSW) and brought together government officials, industry representatives, and technical experts from the region.

Global Maritime CEO Forum:

On October 29, 2025, Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi chaired the Global Maritime Chief Executive Officer(CEO) Forum, the flagship event of the IMW 2025, aimed at building a sustainable, resilient, and future-ready maritime ecosystem aligned with Government of India (GoI)’s Maritime Amrit Kaal Vision (MAKV) 2047.

Aim: The forum brought together global leaders in shipping, ports, logistics, and shipbuilding to discuss sustainable growth, resilient supply chains, green technologies, and joint investments.

QUAD Ports of the Future Partnership Conference:

Event: The inaugural Quad “Ports of the Future Partnership” Conference was held on 29–30 October 2025 in Mumbai.

Organisers: The event was jointly organised by the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad) members : Australia, India, Japan, and the United States of America(USA).

Objective: The initiative aimed to promote sustainable and resilient port infrastructure across the Indo-Pacific region.

Initiatives launched:

During the event, the government unveiled a Rs.2.2 lakh crore (≈ USD 26 billion) investment plan involving 437 new vessel orders, aimed at boosting India’s maritime strength and global competitiveness.

Container Shipping Line: The GoI launched the “Bharat Container Shipping Line”, a new national carrier with 51 vessels and an investment of Rs.60,000 crore, to boost maritime trade and enhance self-reliance in container logistics.

Fleet Expansion Plan: During the event, Shipping Corporation of India (SCI) unveiled plans to expand its fleet to 216 vessels by 2047 with an investment of Rs.1 lakh crores, adding 10 million Gross Tonnage (GT), with an aim to strengthen India’s global maritime competitiveness.

Oil & Gas PSUs: Oil and Gas Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) in India announced 59 new shipbuilding order worth Rs.47,800 crores, which will be executed by Indian shipyards, strengthening GoI’s vision of “Make in India”.

Green Tug Programme: GoI launched the Green Tug Programme, aimed at deploying 100 eco-friendly tugs by 2040 with a total investment of around Rs.12,000 crores.

• The green tugs, powered by alternative fuels and hybrid propulsion systems, will help reduce carbon emissions, improve energy efficiency, and promote sustainable port operations.

Dredger Acquisition:The Dredging Corporation of India (DCI) announced the acquisition of 11 new dredgers worth around Rs.3,775 crore to enhance port efficiency and maintenance capacity.

Launch of NMHC Logo:

Overview: During the event, Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, MoPSW, launched the logo of the National Maritime Heritage Complex (NMHC).

Features: The logo features symbolic elements inspired by waves, ships, and the Lothal dockyard, capturing the spirit of India’s oceanic heritage.

NMHC: The NMHC, being developed at Lothal (Gujarat), at an investment of Rs.4,500 crores, will be a world-class cultural and educational hub showcasing India’s maritime history, shipbuilding traditions, trade routes, and naval achievements.

Maritime Excellence Achievers Awards 2025:

Event: The Maritime Excellence Achievers Awards 2025 ceremony was held on 30 October 2025, at the Bombay Exhibition Centre, Goregaon, Mumbai.

Categories: Key award segments included Terminal Operational Excellence, Shipbuilding & Ship Repair, Digital Transformation, Port Sustainability Pioneer, Shipping Sustainability Pioneer, Maritime Education & Skill Development, Indian Port of the Year, and Emerging Indian Entrepreneur of the Year.

Notable Winners:Deendayal Port Authority(DPA), Kandla (Gujarat), won multiple awards including Port Sustainability Pioneer and Driving Maritime Innovation, while Paradip Port Authority(PPA), Paradip (Odisha) received the Best Exhibit Award for Future Port Concept.

About India’s Coastline: 

It is a 11,000 Kilometres (km) long coastline, spanning across 9 coastal States such as Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu (TN), Andhra Pradesh (AP), Odisha, and West Bengal (WB), Union Territories (UTs), including Puducherry, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep, and Daman & Diu, which accounts for 60% of India’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

About Maharashtra:
Chief Minister (CM) – Devendra Fadnavis
Governor – Acharya Devvrat
Capital – Mumbai
Tiger Reserve (TR) – Melghat TR, Sahyadri TR