India must learn to dream big and take pride in its maritime heritage if it wants to strengthen its position in the global maritime sector, Rajesh Kumar Sinha, Special Secretary, Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, said at the ‘Sagar Sankalp – Reclaiming India’s Maritime Glory’, a high-level maritime defence dialogue organised by THE WEEK in association with Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE).
The senior government official said India’s ancient maritime legacy should inspire the country’s future ambitions at sea. Referring to the Maritime Heritage Complex being developed at Lothal, he said the site highlights India’s deep-rooted maritime traditions and cultural legacy. “Anyone who visits Lothal will come back with a sense of pride in India’s maritime past,” Sinha said, recalling his own visit to the Indus Valley civilisation site of Dholavira years ago.
He highlighted several key policy announcements aimed at strengthening the sector, including the coastal cargo promotion scheme, which will include financial incentives, infrastructure development, skill-building initiatives and efforts to improve vessel availability.
Another major initiative involves promoting container manufacturing for maritime transport. The government has also set a target of expanding India’s inland waterway network. Of the 111 declared national waterways, only 32 are currently operational, but the government plans to increase this number to 52 by 2030, he said.
Additional proposals include setting up ship repair facilities in Patna and Varanasi and establishing a regional centre of excellence for inland waterways.
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Sinha also pointed to a major legislative push in the maritime sector. In 2025, the government passed five key maritime laws, including a comprehensive overhaul of the Merchant Shipping Act of 1958, which had remained largely unchanged since the pre-independence era. The revised law will come into force on March 15, with dozens of supporting rules currently being prepared.
Other legislations passed include a new Coastal Shipping Act, a replacement for the Indian Ports Act of 1908, and revisions to the Bills of Lading Act and the Carriage of Goods by Sea Act.
“These reforms did not happen overnight. They were the result of years of consultation and work with stakeholders across the sector,” he said.
Despite these reforms, he noted that India’s presence in the global shipping industry remains limited. India currently accounts for less than 1 per cent of global shipbuilding and ship ownership, a significant decline from its earlier position among the top maritime players.
Sinha warned that if the current trajectory continues, India’s share could fall further to around 0.3 per cent by 2047. India is also heavily dependent on foreign vessels for trade, with about 96 per cent of the country’s export-import cargo carried on foreign-flagged ships, resulting in an annual freight outflow of around $106 billion.
To reverse this trend, the government has outlined long-term strategies through policy frameworks such as Maritime India Vision 2030 and the Maritime Amrit Kaal Vision 2047, which aim to expand shipbuilding, ship ownership and maritime infrastructure.
The official also highlighted the growing importance of India’s seafaring workforce, which has increased from around 1.2 lakh a decade ago to more than 3.18 lakh today. Around 90 per cent of these seafarers work on foreign vessels, earning global recognition for their skills and professionalism.
However, he cautioned that the profession carries risks. Thousands of Indian seafarers are currently deployed in sensitive regions such as the Persian Gulf, and incidents involving abandoned or stranded crew members remain a concern.
At one point in 2025, around 840 Indian seafarers were reported stranded or abandoned worldwide, he said, adding that coordinated efforts with Indian diplomatic missions have since reduced the number to about 500.
The government is continuing diplomatic engagement with foreign governments to resolve these cases and bring stranded seafarers home, he added.
Sinha also stressed the need to strengthen maritime skills and training in India. While the country has a large network of Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs), specialised skills required in shipbuilding—such as advanced welding and ship plate shaping—remain in short supply.
Efforts are now underway to identify these gaps and upgrade skill training programmes in collaboration with shipyards and industry.
India is also engaging with major global shipbuilding companies, including Hyundai, Samsung and Daewoo, to explore partnerships that could boost domestic shipbuilding capabilities and create new employment opportunities.
Concluding his remarks, the speaker urged young maritime cadets to develop both technical expertise and resilience to cope with the challenges of a demanding profession.
“The maritime sector offers great opportunities, but it also demands discipline, skill and strong personal values,” he said, adding that India’s maritime future would depend on how effectively the country combines ambition, policy reforms and skill development.