India Sailing Ahead with Over ?3 Lakh Crore Maritime Vision 2030

New Delhi: Charting a decade of remarkable growth from 2014 to 2025, India’s maritime sector is cruising toward a new era of transformation, achieving record milestones across ports, coastal shipping, and inland waterways, according to an official statement released on Sunday ahead of India Maritime Week 2025, which begins in Mumbai on Monday.

The transformation is being driven by the Maritime India Vision 2030, backed by a massive investment of ?3–3.5 lakh crore aimed at modernising ports, boosting shipping capacity, and strengthening inland waterways. A landmark package worth ?69,725 crore is also underway to enhance shipbuilding and revitalise the maritime ecosystem.

Ports Sector: Record Growth and Modernisation

India’s port capacity has nearly doubled in the past decade — from 1,400 million metric tonnes per annum (MMTPA) to 2,762 MMTPA — reflecting large-scale modernisation and infrastructure upgrades.
Financial performance has improved dramatically, with the net annual surplus surging from ?1,026 crore to ?9,352 crore, highlighting stronger revenues and better cost management.

Operational efficiency has also seen a sharp rise: the operating ratio has improved from 73% to 43%, while average vessel turnaround time has dropped from 93 hours to just 48 hours, significantly boosting productivity and competitiveness.

Cargo handling volumes have grown from 972 MMT to 1,594 MMT, with major ports managing 855 million tonnes in FY 2024–25, up from 819 million tonnes the previous year.

Shipping and Coastal Trade: Expanding Horizons

India’s shipping fleet has continued to grow steadily, with Indian-flagged vessels increasing from 1,205 to 1,549, and the gross tonnage of the national fleet rising from 10 MGT to 13.52 MGT, marking a stronger maritime presence globally.

Coastal shipping has witnessed a major surge, with cargo movement nearly doubling from 87 MMT to 165 MMT, reinforcing India’s shift toward efficient, low-cost, and eco-friendly transport modes.

Inland Waterways: A Silent Revolution

The Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) has achieved a historic milestone with cargo movement touching 146 MMT in 2025, up from just 18 MMT in 2014 — an astounding 710% increase.
The number of operational waterways has expanded from 3 to 29, marking a breakthrough in India’s inland transport network.

In a major step toward multimodal logistics, IWAI handed over the Haldia Multi-Modal Terminal (MMT) in West Bengal to IRC Natural Resources under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model. Built with World Bank assistance, the terminal boasts a 3.08 MMTPA capacity and is expected to play a pivotal role in inland cargo movement.

Ferry and Ro-Pax services (which carry both vehicles and passengers) have gained momentum, transporting over 7.5 crore passengers in FY 2024–25, showcasing growing public confidence in water-based transport.

Seafarers and Employment: Powering Global Maritime Workforce

India’s seafarer workforce has more than doubled in a decade — from 1.25 lakh to over 3 lakh — now representing 12% of the global seafaring workforce. This achievement places India among the top three suppliers of trained seafarers worldwide, opening up new opportunities in ship operations, navigation, logistics, and allied maritime industries.

Funding the Future: Maritime Development and Shipbuilding

To strengthen the maritime financing ecosystem, the Maritime Development Fund (MDF) with a ?25,000 crore corpus has been established to support long-term investments in shipbuilding and fleet expansion.
Complementing this, the Shipbuilding Financial Assistance Scheme with an outlay of ?24,736 crore addresses domestic cost disadvantages, while the Shipbuilding Development Scheme, worth ?19,989 crore, promotes greenfield clusters, shipyard expansion, and risk coverage.

India Maritime Week 2025: A Global Gathering

India Maritime Week 2025 (IMW 2025) — a flagship event on the global maritime calendar — will be held from October 27 to 31 at the NESCO Exhibition Centre, Mumbai. The event is expected to attract participants from over 100 countries, including 1,00,000 delegates, port operators, investors, innovators, and policymakers.

The five-day mega event will feature 500 exhibitors, thematic pavilions, technology demonstrations, and discussions on port-led development, shipbuilding clusters, and digital maritime corridors, serving as a major platform for global collaboration and investment.

With inputs from IANS