Will PM Modi Address Global CEOs at India Maritime Week in Mumbai Next Month?

Guwahati, Sep 2 (NationPress) Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Sarbananda Sonowal, stated on Tuesday that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to grace the 'India Maritime Week' in Mumbai from October 27–31, where he will deliver a keynote address during the Global Maritime CEO Forum.

Speaking at the Water Voyage Northeast 2025 conference, Sonowal emphasized that this forthcoming event is a historic chance to exhibit India’s maritime capabilities to the global audience, with participants anticipated from over 100 countries and more than 100,000 stakeholders. The Prime Minister’s presence is expected to reinforce India’s maritime leadership during a period of significant transformation in the sector and motivate international industry leaders to invest in India’s growth narrative.

According to the minister, the India Maritime Week 2025 will reveal investment opportunities estimated at nearly Rs 1 lakh crore, spanning shipbuilding clusters, port-led connectivity, coastal community development, and eco-friendly logistics.

Sonowal also disclosed that two luxury cruise ships are being constructed with a total investment of Rs 250 crore for operation on the Brahmaputra River. These ships, under construction at the Hooghly Cochin Shipyard in Howrah, are expected to launch in 2027, adding a new aspect to Assam’s river tourism under the Cruise Bharat Mission.

The minister highlighted that since 2014, India’s maritime ecosystem has been revitalized under Prime Minister Modi’s leadership. Major initiatives such as Sagarmala, the Maritime India Vision (MIV) 2030, and the Maritime Amrit Kaal Vision (MAKV) 2047 are transforming ports, shipping, and inland waterways.

He noted that port capacity has nearly doubled, cargo handling has reached 1,600 million metric tonnes, and turnaround time at ports has reduced to 22 hours.

“From five operational waterways in 2014, we now have 30 today, while cargo movement on inland waterways has surged from 18 million tonnes in 2013-14 to 145 million tonnes last year,” he pointed out.

He emphasized the green transition led by the Harit Sagar policy and Harit Nauka initiative, promoting clean fuels, renewable energy, and eco-friendly inland vessels. He also mentioned the Jalvahak Scheme, launched in December 2024, which incentivizes cargo transport over 300 km on National Waterways 1, 2, and 16 through the Indo-Bangladesh Protocol route with up to 35 percent reimbursement of operating expenses.

The minister stressed the Northeast’s significance in the maritime strategy. Over Rs 1,000 crore has been invested in inland waterway infrastructure in the region, with Rs 300 crore worth of projects completed and the rest nearing completion.

The Cruise Bharat Mission, initiated in 2024, aims to establish 100 river cruise terminals, 10 sea cruise terminals, and five marinas, while doubling passenger numbers by 2029. Currently, 25 river cruise vessels are operational on national waterways, including 14 on the Brahmaputra alone.

Sonowal remarked that Forbes recently ranked the Ganga river cruise among the world’s top 10, asserting that “Assam is poised to become the next global river cruise destination.”

“This is the decade of maritime resurgence for India,” he proclaimed. “By 2047, our objective is to handle 10,000 MMT of EXIM cargo and 500 MMT through inland waterways. India aspires to be among the world’s top five shipbuilding nations and capture a 20 percent share in global ship recycling. This is our Amrit Kaal vision for maritime India,” he concluded.