Tarun Karthick
Mumbai, 29 October 2025
India Maritime Week 2025, the country’s largest maritime summit, is underway in Mumbai, bringing together over 100,000 delegates, 500 exhibitors, and 350 global speakers for five days of high-level deliberations and exhibitions under the theme “Uniting Oceans, One Maritime Vision.”
The flagship event, organised by the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways and the Indian Ports Association, was inaugurated on October 27 by Union Home Minister Amit Shah in the presence of Chief Ministers from Maharashtra, Gujarat, Goa, and Odisha, along with Union Ports Minister Sarbananda Sonowal and Maharashtra Deputy Chief Ministers. The summit is being held at the NESCO Exhibition Centre (Bombay Exhibition Centre), Goregaon, and will conclude on October 31.
In his inaugural address, Home Minister Amit Shah described the summit as a defining milestone in India’s emergence as a maritime power, calling it “India’s Maritime Moment.” He said Mumbai, once known as the “Gateway of India,” is now transforming into the “Gateway of the World.” Shah highlighted a decade of structural maritime reforms that have modernized ports, expanded coastal shipping, and aligned India with global maritime standards.
India Maritime Week 2025 also carried a clear endorsement of the Great Nicobar project from Amit Shah, who said in his inaugural speech that the USD 5 billion development will increase India’s maritime world trade multiple times.
The opening day also featured addresses by Chief Ministers and maritime leaders outlining the shared vision for an integrated, globally competitive maritime economy.
The summit is built around the government’s “Maritime Amrit Kaal Vision 2047”, a long-term blueprint resting on four pillars — port-led development, shipping and shipbuilding, seamless logistics, and maritime skilling. The vision seeks to position India among the world’s top maritime nations through investments in port modernization, green shipping, and the blue economy.
Sessions and dialogues throughout the week focus on blue economy growth, resilient supply chains, green corridors, coastal infrastructure, and inclusive sectoral development through public-private partnerships and international collaboration.
The event’s most anticipated sessions are scheduled for October 29, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address the Maritime Leaders Conclave around 4 PM and subsequently chair the Global Maritime CEO Forum, a closed-door roundtable of global industry leaders in shipping, ports, logistics, and investment.
The Prime Minister’s interventions are expected to outline India’s maritime growth strategy and policy roadmap toward 2047, while the CEO Forum will deliberate on sustainability, financing, and innovation in the maritime sector. High-level MoU signings and investment announcements are expected to follow.
India Maritime Week 2025 has drawn participation from over 85 countries with ministerial and industry delegations from at least 11 nations, underscoring India’s growing integration with global maritime value chains. International classification societies and industry majors such as DNV are showcasing innovations in safety, technology, and decarbonization.
The exhibition halls feature state-of-the-art displays on port automation, shipbuilding technology, green fuels, and inland waterway logistics, with dedicated pavilions for states and private players.
Policy discussions are centering on large-scale investments in port capacity, shipbuilding, and logistics connectivity. Key focus areas include Vadhavan Port, green shipping corridors, coastal cargo terminals, and inland waterway development. Officials have hinted at the signing of multiple MoUs aimed at catalyzing investment and modernizing infrastructure under the Vision 2047 framework.
With the Prime Minister’s engagements scheduled for October 29, traffic and security advisories have been issued around the NESCO venue in Goregaon, including temporary restrictions on certain routes to facilitate VVIP movement.
For Mumbai, hosting India Maritime Week 2025 reaffirms its position as the country’s maritime capital and a growing hub for maritime services — including finance, insurance, classification, and research.
India Maritime Week 2025 marks a pivotal moment in the country’s push to become a maritime manufacturing and logistics powerhouse. It serves as a deal-making and policy-signaling platform, expected to yield significant partnerships across port modernization, green shipping, shipbuilding, and sustainable financing.
As the event progresses toward its closing on October 31, attention will remain on MoU outcomes, investment volumes, and policy directives emerging from the CEO Forum and concluding sessions — milestones that could define India’s maritime growth trajectory for decades to come.
