Shri Dharmendra Pradhan, Union Minister for Education and Skill Development & Entrepreneurship, took the stage at the prestigious Global Maritime India Summit (GMIS), 2023, organized by the Ministry of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways. This summit, one of the world’s largest gatherings dedicated to the maritime industry, witnessed a substantial investment of ₹2.37 lakh crore on its second day in Mumbai.

In his address to the audience, Shri Pradhan lauded the invaluable contributions of seafarers, referring to them as the unsung heroes of the global economy. He emphasized that seafarers play a pivotal role in supporting the maritime industry by enabling global supply chains, facilitating trade, promoting tourism, safeguarding national waters, and contributing significantly to national development.

Highlighting India’s remarkable standing in the global maritime sector, Shri Pradhan shared that India ranks fifth globally in the supply of seafarers, boasting nearly 2.5 lakh seafarers, which account for 12% of the global seafaring community. The minister further expressed the goal of increasing this figure to 20%, underscoring India’s pivotal role in the international maritime workforce.

Shri Pradhan stressed that GMIS 2023 is the first-ever techno-economic summit dedicated to addressing issues of human resource and capacity development in the maritime sector. He acknowledged the government’s decade-long efforts to standardize maritime training, enhance on-board training, improve examination and certification processes, and facilitate ease of doing business in the maritime domain.

The Union Minister highlighted the maritime heritage of India, specifically mentioning the state of Odisha, which has been an epicenter of glorious maritime traditions since ancient times. While cherishing this heritage, he emphasized the importance of leveraging India’s maritime strength to lay the foundation for a new India.

Shri Pradhan expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi for providing leadership in the development of a robust skill-centric and industry-ready ecosystem. He underscored the significance of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 in transforming the knowledge ecosystem, providing high-quality education and skills to all. The NEP 2020, he noted, will play a crucial role in skilling, re-skilling, and up-skilling seafarers, making them future-ready and industry-ready.

The Union Minister also emphasized the government’s commitment to equipping seafarers with future skills, standardizing and equivalencing skills, and providing policy support to engage more Indian female seafarers.

Shri Pradhan acknowledged the GMIS’s role as a platform for collaboration, creating a conducive working environment, and promoting the welfare, rights, and recognition of seafarers, who are the backbone of the shipping industry.

During the day, the summit witnessed the signing of 70 Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) across various industries in the maritime sector, including port development and modernization, green hydrogen & and ammonia, business & and commerce, shipbuilding, and port connectivity.

On the first day of the summit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated 21 projects worth ₹18,800 crores and witnessed the signing of 34 MoUs worth ₹3.24 lakh crore. This included Green Projects and Projects of Port Development and Modernization. Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi also launched Maritime Amrit Kaal Vision 2047, a roadmap for the maritime sector’s development for the next 25 years.

The Global Maritime India Summit 2023 brought together representatives from various countries, international CEOs, and government officials to discuss key areas of the maritime sector, including ports of the future, decarbonization, coastal shipping, shipbuilding, maritime safety, and more.

About the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways

The Ministry of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways is committed to fostering the growth and development of India’s maritime sector, promoting trade and transportation, and ensuring the security of the nation’s waters.