THEBUSINESSBYTES BUREAU

NEW DELHI, OCTOBER 7, 2026

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday called for a free, open, secure and rules-based maritime order that can bring peace, prosperity and progress for all, as the third edition of Sagarmanthan: The Great Oceans Dialogue opened here with India pitching its maritime transformation as a partnership opportunity for the world.

In his message to the three-day dialogue, Modi said oceans do not separate countries but connect them, with developments in one part of the world having an impact far beyond its shores, underscoring the need for dialogue and global cooperation at a time of shifting trade patterns, geopolitical fragmentation and technological change.

Recalling India's maritime heritage from Lothal and the Cholas to the naval vision of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, the Prime Minister said the Indian tradition of oceanic engagement had long been associated with discovering new possibilities.

The event, organised by the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW) in partnership with the Observer Research Foundation (ORF), brought together ministers, naval leaders, port authorities, shipbuilders, financiers, international institutions and maritime experts from across five continents on its opening day.

Representatives from Australia, Belgium, Bhutan, the European Union, France, Norway, the Republic of Korea, the UAE, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Ghana, Egypt, Seychelles and Ecuador participated in discussions alongside the OECD, UN Trade and Development, the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank and the African Union.

Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal, outlining India's maritime roadmap, said the country's Maritime Amrit Kaal Vision 2047, PM Gati Shakti and the Sagarmala programme represented not merely a domestic development agenda but an offer of partnership to the global maritime community.

In a high-level conversation titled "Maritime Amrit Kaal 2047: India's Ocean Vision and a New Era of Global Maritime Cooperation", Sonowal, speaking with ORF President Dr Samir Saran, positioned India as a "Vishwaguru" on the oceans, sharing its knowledge, capabilities and talent to advance a more collaborative global maritime agenda.

"India's bond with the sea is civilisational. For thousands of years, Indian sailors carried goods, ideas and culture across the oceans as partners, never as conquerors," Sonowal said.

Under Modi's leadership, India was offering the world a maritime model rooted in trust, capability and mutual benefit, he said, adding that the country's approach was to lead by example while growing together with partners.

"The global maritime order is going through a great churning of disruption, fragmentation and technological change," Sonowal said, adding that India aimed to bring forth "amrit" for the world in the form of resilient supply chains, green shipping corridors, a world-class shipbuilding ecosystem and a skilled seafaring workforce.

He described Maritime Amrit Kaal Vision 2047 as India's roadmap to a Viksit Bharat and an open invitation to partners across the world's oceans.

Minister of State for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Shantanu Thakur, delivering the scene-setting ministerial address at the formal opening, highlighted India's port-led development and new-generation maritime laws, saying these were creating capacity not only for the country's growth but also for the wider region.

"Ports today are not just gateways for cargo; they are strategic assets that shape competitiveness, energy security and trust between nations," Thakur said.

With India's major ports having nearly doubled their capacity and a modern legal framework now in place, the country was ready to support trade across the Indo-Pacific and beyond, he said.

MoPSW Secretary Vijay Kumar delivered the opening address, while Saran delivered the welcome remarks.

The inaugural ministerial plenary, "Tides of Trust: Ports, Partnerships, and the Making of a New Maritime Century", examined the growing role of ports and shipping networks as strategic economic assets.

The session, moderated by Saran, featured former Australian prime minister and Global President and CEO of Asia Society Kevin Rudd, Flemish Minister of Mobility, Public Works, Ports and Sport Annick De Ridder, Bhutan Minister of Infrastructure and Transport Chandra Bahadur Gurung, Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Krishna Swaminathan and DP World CEO and Managing Director Rizwan Soomar.

Earlier, Soomar and Saran discussed "The Great Churning: Trade, Power and Opportunity", focusing on the manner in which maritime connectivity is reshaping economic power.

A major focus of the opening day was India's emerging cooperation with the European Union on green shipping. The India-EU Green Shipping Corridor initiative seeks to combine India's potential in green fuel production with growing European demand, opening opportunities for green ammonia and methanol trade while supporting maritime decarbonisation.

Following the launch of the corridor's pre-feasibility study in 2025 and the establishment of an industry coalition in 2026, the initiative is now moving towards implementation.

The associated session, "India-EU Green Shipping Corridor: Innovation, Action and Scale", organised with the Rocky Mountain Institute, formally launched the coalition and brought government and industry stakeholders together to discuss investment, partnerships and a commercially viable pathway for scaling the corridor.

European Commission Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism Apostolos Tzitzikostas and Thakur delivered ministerial addresses, while Vijay Kumar gave the opening remarks.

India's maritime partnership with South Korea also figured prominently, with the "India-Korea in the Indo-Pacific: Maritime Cooperation and Economic Resilience" roundtable reviewing progress since the April 2026 India-Republic of Korea Summit.

The discussion focused on implementing the India-Korea Comprehensive Framework for Partnership in Shipbuilding, Shipping and Maritime Logistics and its alignment with the Special Strategic Partnership between the two countries.

Participants examined cooperation in shipbuilding, maritime logistics, port-led development and supply-chain integration, with an emphasis on structured collaboration among governments, shipyards, shipping companies, port operators and maritime technology firms.

The session also saw the launch of the edited volume "Oceans of Alignment: India-South Korea Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific".

Economic corridors and their governance emerged as another key theme, with the curtain-raiser session "Governing the Corridors of Tomorrow: Lessons for IMEC" examining the institutional architecture needed to translate the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor from a strategic vision into a functioning economic corridor.

The discussions focused on frameworks that can support investment, interoperability and long-term momentum while allowing the corridor to adapt to changing geopolitical and economic conditions.

The sustainable blue economy also featured prominently, with the OECD-associated session "Tracking the Transition to Sustainable Blue Economies" examining how improved measurement and benchmarking can help governments identify priorities, guide investment and strengthen policy coordination.

The OECD Blue Economy Scoreboards were discussed as a framework for evidence-based policymaking and international cooperation aimed at sustainable and inclusive ocean development.

Africa's growing role in global maritime connectivity was another important strand of the dialogue. The session "Africa's Blue Gateways: From Corridors to Engines of Connectivity" examined how initiatives such as the Lobito Corridor and investments in regional connectivity can help diversify trade routes, strengthen supply-chain resilience and unlock the continent's blue-economy potential.

The discussions highlighted the growing importance of African maritime corridors as geopolitical disruptions, chokepoint vulnerabilities and shifting supply chains reshape global trade.

The first day of Sagarmanthan 2026 thus brought together discussions on ports, shipping, shipbuilding, green fuels, economic corridors, blue-economy measurement and Africa's maritime potential, with India seeking to position itself as a trusted partner in shaping the next phase of global ocean cooperation.

The dialogue continues with further ministerial and expert-level sessions on the future of the maritime economy and the evolving global ocean order.