Vedangi Kaushik Warthe
The India Maritime Week (IMW) 2025, inaugurated at the NESCO Exhibition Centre in Mumbai, marks one of the world’s largest maritime gatherings, bringing together over 100 nations, 1,00,000+ delegates, 500 exhibitors, and 350 global speakers. The week-long event thus conducted celebrates not only India’s deep maritime legacy but also its modern ambitions to become a global maritime leader by 2047.
The theme “Uniting Oceans, One Maritime Vision,” IMW 2025 aims to showcase the bigger picture of India’s maritime resurgence, strategic vision, and its commitment to sustainability, innovation, and international cooperation to the world. As the Prime Minister remarked during the Maritime Leaders Conclave, “When the global seas are rough, the world looks for a steady lighthouse, and India is well poised to play that role with strength and stability.”
India’s Ancient Legacy of a Maritime Civilization to Modern Ports
India’s maritime connection runs deep in history — from the dockyards of Lothal, among the oldest in the world, to the naval foresight of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, who recognized the seas as India’s shield and strength. Long before modern globalization, India had already understood the economic and strategic potential of maritime trade be it during the Cholas or a hundred thousand years before in 2400 BCE.
Even when the Silk Route was disrupted, India’s oceans kept trade alive by connecting civilizations and carrying Indian goods, culture, and ideas across the globe. Ironically, the same oceans that previously brought European explorers to Indian shores will now serve as the very pathways that position India as a maritime hub of the future thus making the Oceans in India the Pathways to Prosperity in its true sense.
With a 23.7 lakh sq. km Exclusive Economic Zone, India is a natural maritime power. As the Union Minister of Home Affairs declared the upcoming transformation of the Gateway of India into the Gateway of the World, India will be able to reassert its place on the world map as an ancient civilization transforming into a modern maritime force. The Prime Minister also announced major projects such as the construction of a new port at Vadhavan, Maharashtra, at a cost of ₹76,000 crore, and the implementation of the One Nation, One Port Process, which will streamline port operations and documentation nationwide.
The Global Maritime Gathering: Confluence of Ideas and Action
IMW 2025 is not just an exhibition we can say it is a global movement. The week features a grand Inauguration, Sagarmanthan – The Great Oceans’ Dialogue, the Global Maritime Leaders’ Conclave, the Global Maritime CEO Forum, and 12 concurrent conferences and exhibitions.
The IMW ’25 was inaugurated by Hon’ble Union Minister of Home Affairs, Amit Shah and in attendance wrere the Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Devendra Fadnavis; the Chief Minister of Gujarat, Bhupendrabhai Patel; the Chief Minister of Goa, Dr. Pramod Sawant; and the Chief Minister of Odisha, Mohan Saran Majhi, along with Deputy Chief Ministers Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar, global delegates, industry leaders, and maritime students.
Since the very first edition in 2016, India Maritime Week has evolved into a platform that unites policymakers, entrepreneurs, academicians, and innovators to discuss the future of global maritime trade and governance. This year’s edition has proven to be even more ambitious, with Memorandums of Understanding worth lakhs of crores of rupees being signed, reflecting massive interest and investment in India’s maritime growth.
Sailing the Seas
Sustainably:
One of the strongest messages emerging from IMW 2025 is India’s sheer commitment to sustainability and clean shipping. The Prime Minister emphasized on India’s ambition to create a green maritime future that not only accelerates growth but maintains harmony with nature.
The focus was on empowering Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and Least Developed Countries (LDCs) with technology, training, and infrastructure to make the maritime economy more globally inclusive helping in integration of resourcefully rich but economically weak nations. Speakers invited across the globe discussed the need for collective action to tackle climate change, supply chain disruptions, and maritime security.
India’s participation in initiatives like the India–Middle East–Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) underlines its role in redefining global trade routes. India proudly handles about 10% of current global seaborne trade, and aims to triple it by 2047, making sustainability and smart logistics the foundation of future maritime growth.
Economically:
Economic discussions at IMW 2025 centered on creating balanced global supply chains and expanding connectivity. The first theme, “Redrawing the Map: New routes for critical minerals,” was about critical mineral resources abundant across Africa, Asia, and Latin America, but since their processing is located elsewhere, it creates global disparities. Experts unanimously concluded that that the imbalance can only be bridged by developing processing facilities closer to extraction zones, and by fostering stronger bilateral and multilateral partnerships. Along with this panelists also contemplated on how the Mediterranean can serve as a bridge linking these continents, linking science-policy-enterprise to strengthen critical mineral supply chains.
The second theme, “Connecting New Growth Engines: Shaping Africa, Asia, Middle East linkage,” helped explore how regions across Africa, Asia, and the Middle East are becoming the new centres of global production and consumption and due to Initiatives like IMEC that offer a structure of connectivity smaller island nations near Africa that are rich in resources can be linked to the global supply chain. Dorian Ducka, CEO of Alpha Strategy Consulting (Albania), emphasized that “BRI and IMEC should not be competitors but collaborators,” suggesting that IMEC’s potential to evolve into “IMECA” with African financial participation forging inclusivity.
The third major discussion, “Docks to Data: The Smart Port Revolution,” gave great insights on how digitalization can reduce almost one-fifth of maritime trade costs caused by manual paperwork. Gangadhar Gude (ATAI Labs, Netherlands), Som Dutta (DP World, UAE), and Dawoon Jung (Australian National Centre for Ocean Resources and Security), suggested a framework of Automation-Optimization-Regulation with the help of AI to minimize port congestion, optimize cargo movement, and prevent annual losses of billions.
Gangadhar Gudhe quoted that only 4.2% of global ports are currently automated and all experts agreed that the world must accelerate toward data-driven maritime operations. Dawoon Jung also gave an insight on Indian Maritime Organisation’s aim to achieve full digitalization by 2027, a goal India is strongly aligned with.
With Empowered Women
In a men dominated sector like maritime, IMW 2025 showcased stories of women in the maritime world under the theme “From Glass Ceilings to Open Seas.”
Lt. Cdr Roopa Alagirisamy and Lt. Cdr Dilna K from the Indian Navy shared their journeys from commanding ship decks to contributing at high levels of policy and leadership. The presence of these women at the event represented more than just female inclusion; they represented transforming the maritime space into a platform of equal opportunity where skill and leadership mattered more than gender.
While women Lts. handle work on the shore, leaders such as J.P. Irene Cynthia, Managing Director of Kamarajar Port Limited, and Dr. Malini V. Shankar, Vice-Chancellor of the Indian Maritime University, redefine leadership ashore. Entrepreneurs like Neha Jain of ZeroCircle and Akanksha Sharma of DP World are excelling in their roles in sustainability and ocean innovation, joined by their industry counterparts H. K. Joshi and M. Bhanu Priya in shipbuilding and logistics. All these women and many others carry forward the legacy of Sumati Morarjee, India’s “Mother of Shipping,” who was a pioneering leader during the 1970s who steered the industry into a new era of Indian-owned maritime enterprise.
Her vision, courage, and leadership paved the way for generations of women to navigate and shape the maritime world. IMW 2025 thus stood as a testament to women’s growing leadership across the maritime world where the tides of change are being steered by talent, vision, and resilience at par with men.
Securing the Blues: Challenges and Cooperation
Across all sessions, panelists commonly identified global challenges such as trade disruptions which were majorly due to tariffs leading to fluctuations in cargo movement, and maritime security threats. The consensus was clear, for ensuring safe and secure sea lanes diversification of routes and resources is necessary so that no single corridor becomes politically or economically vulnerable. The need for common rules, coordinated finance mechanisms, and shared regional visions was something the speakers repeatedly emphasized. Platforms like Sagarmanthan Dialogue and IMW itself provide a platform for collective exchange on sector-wise expertise.
India’s Way Forward as a Lighthouse Nation
As we look ahead, India’s maritime future is filled with a bag full of opportunities. The event emphasized the need for Public Private Partnerships, active participation of local governments and regional banks, and greater investment in technical and policy expertise. Under the Cruise Bharat Mission, India’s cruise tourism sector is projected to cross 1 million by 2029 and generate ₹35,500 crore in revenue by 2030. Alongside this India’s establishment of the Global Institute for Maritime Arbitration and Commerce (GIMAC) will allow the country to take a leading role in resolving maritime trade and commercial disputes, blending commerce, law, and global governance.
With its strategic coastline, strong economy, and inclusive outlook, India stands at the center of the global maritime map ready to guide, connect, and lead. As the dignitaries implied, “At the centre of it all lies India with its mighty maritime power. Because of our great coastline, we lead by example.”
From the Shores of Legacy to the Waves of Leadership
From the ancient docks of Lothal to the digital ports of the future, India’s journey across the oceans is both a story of heritage and vision This thread of sustainability, innovation, cooperation, and confidence is captured by the India Maritime Week 2025. As India sails ahead to triple its maritime trade and redefine the world’s sea routes, it does so not as a follower but as a lighthouse nation, guiding global prosperity through calm, steady, and sustainable waters.
References
- Divvya, J. (n.d.). Indian Maritme Week 2025. Retrieved from Medium: https://medium.com/@divvyajain2003/india-maritime-week-2025-18b1ed620e1a
- PIB. (n.d.). Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi addresses Maritime Leaders Conclave at India Maritime Week 2025. Delhi.
- PIB. (n.d.). Union Home Minister Amit Shah Inaugurates India Maritime Week 2025 in Mumbai. Delhi.
- Vedangi, W. (n.d.). Summary on IMW 2025.
Vedangi Kaushik Warthe, has been a delegate at the India Maritime Week Conference 2025. A Majors in Economics (2024–25) at V.G. Vaze College of Arts, Science, and Commerce, Mumbai, she has completed her certificate-credit course in Econometrics from IIT Roorkee. Her academic and professional interests lie in public policy, governance, global economics, and diplomacy.
Disclaimer: All views expressed in the article belong to the author and not necessarily to the organisation.
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Acknowledgment: This article was posted by Urvashi Singhal, Visiting Researcher & Assistant Editor at IMPRI.
