Global Maritime India Summit To Generate 15 Lakh Jobs, Says Ports Minister Sonowal

The minister called the summit the country’s vision of ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ and noted that the event brings forward a wide range of opportunities for public-private partnerships.

The major focus areas for the summit include ports of the future, decarbonisation, coastal shipping and inland water transport (IWT), shipbuilding, and finance, among others.

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The Global Maritime India Summit (GMIS) is projected to generate 15 lakh job opportunities, Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Sarbananda Sonowal said on Monday. Addressing the media ahead of the third edition of the Summit in Mumbai, Sonowal stated that the government aims to develop a blue economy and encourage the development of green ports and sustainable infrastructure.

The minister called the summit the country’s vision of ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’. The three-day summit will start on October 17 in Mumbai. Sonowal noted that the event brings forward a wide range of opportunities for public-private partnerships. Talking about the potential of the sector, the minister said that investment opportunities worth Rs 10 lakh crore have already been identified across the industry with a possibility of generating over 15 lakh job opportunities, reported PTI. 

“This kind of summit will be able to bring investment from across the world in the maritime sector whether it is shipbuilding, ship repairing, port modernisation (in fact), all kinds of activities. In the near future, whatever (investment) is utilised in whatever sector, it will create more than 1.5-million jobs across the country,” Sonowal added. The earlier two editions of the summit took place in 2016 and 2021. 

The minister further noted that the government has undertaken some measures to help and benefit the coastal communities, which has resulted in improved efficiency across ports and better cargo handling capacity. He added, “Our vision is to foster a blue economy, promoting the development of green ports, sustainable infrastructure, cruise tourism and attracting global investments to propel the maritime industry forward.”

The shipping ministry further revealed that the summit is set to attract participation from more than 70 countries, with over 250 national and international speakers and CEOs in attendance, along with over 20 thematic sessions taking place including 7 international roundtable discussions and more than 13 sectoral and state discussions. 

The summit also has dialogues planned on regional cooperation in BIMSTEC countries, Chabahar and INSTC (International North–South Transport Corridor), Africa, Indo-Pacific, Europe, and the newly launched IMEC (India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor). 

The major focus areas for the summit include ports of the future, decarbonisation, coastal shipping and inland water transport (IWT), shipbuilding, and finance, among others.