New Delhi, Sep 2 (UNI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi will give the keynote address at the Global Maritime CEO Forum at India Maritime Week to be held in Mumbai from October 27–31, reaffirming India’s global maritime leadership at a time when the sector is undergoing unprecedented transformation.
Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal, while speaking at the Water Voyage Northeast 2025 conference in Guwahati, described the event as an ‘’historic opportunity to showcase India’s maritime strength to the world.’’
Delegates from more than 100 countries and more than 100,000 stakeholders are expected to participate. ‘’India maritime Week will not only be a confluence of ideas but a confluence of confidence. The world now looks at India as a trusted partner and a rising maritime power. The Prime Minister’s presence at the Global Maritime CEO Forum will inspire global industry leaders to invest in India’s growth story,’’ Sonowal said.
He said two luxury cruise ships are being built at a combined investment of Rs 250 crore for deployment on the Brahmaputra River. These ships, currently under construction at Hooghly Cochin Shipyard in Howrah, Kolkata, will be launched in 2027, providing a new dimension to Assam’s river tourism under the Cruise Bharat Mission.
Sonowal said India’s maritime ecosystem has been reshaped since 2014. Flagship initiatives such as Sagarmala, Maritime India Vision (MIV) 2030 and the Maritime Amrit Kaal Vision (MAKV) 2047 are transforming ports, shipping, and inland waterways.
He highlighted 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.
Emphasising Northeast’s role in the maritime roadmap, he said more than Rs 1,000 crore has been invested in inland waterway infrastructure in the region of which Rs 300 crore worth of projects are complete and the rest nearing completion.
The Cruise Bharat Mission, launched in 2024, aims to develop 100 river cruise terminals, 10 sea cruise terminals, and five marinas, while doubling passenger numbers by 2029. Today, 25 river cruise vessels are operational on national waterways, including 14 on the Brahmaputra alone.
The Minister said India Maritime Week 2025 will unveil investment opportunities worth nearly Rs 1 trillion, ranging from shipbuilding clusters and port-led connectivity to coastal community development and eco-friendly logistics.
‘’This is the decade of maritime resurgence for India. By 2047, our goal is to handle 10,000 MMT of EXIM cargo and 500 MMT through inland waterways. India will be among the world’s top five shipbuilding nations and command a 20 percent share in global ship recycling. This is our Amrit Kaal vision for maritime India.”
The Water Voyage Northeast conference, organised by the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) and the Indian Ports Association (IPA), brought together over 240 stakeholders including cruise operators, cargo vessel owners, and traders.
