'Free, Open And Secure Maritime Network': PM Modi Reiterates India's Vision At Sagarmanthan Summit

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while virtually addressing the 'Sagarmanthan - The Ocean's Dialogue' summit in the national capital on Tuesday, reiterated India's vision for a "free, open and secure maritime network".

Modi's remarks came on the second and final day of the summit, which was attended by policymakers and ministers from 61 countries, including including Greece, Maldives, and Argentina. The summit, held in New Delhi, was hosted by the Government of India, in collaboration with think-tank Observer Research Foundation.

“Our vision for a free, open and secure maritime network - be it the Indian Ocean or the Indo Pacific region - is finding resonance across the world. The ‘Indo Pacific Oceans Initiative' envisions marine resources as a key pillar for growth for nations. This dialogue on oceans further strengthen the rules-based world order and enhance peace, trust and friendship between nations," Modi said.

"As we strive to realise the vision of a Viksit Bharat by 2047, dialogues such as Sagarmanthan are invaluable to build consensus, partnerships and most importantly, a prosperous future. With the collective efforts of all stakeholders, I am confident that these discussions will resonate far and wide, paving the way toward a brighter, more connected future," he added.

Over the past two days, Sagarmanthan served as a platform for global leaders and policymakers to share insights and discuss the future of the maritime sector. The topics discussed include blue economy, global supply chains, maritime logistics, and sustainable growth, among others.

Sarbananda Sonowal, the Union minister for ports, shipping and waterways, said at the summit that India's aim is to enter "the top 10 of ship building countries by 2030".

"We are also content that the rich resource pool and a vibrant democratic set up will embolden our ports to handle 10,000 million tonnes of cargo by 2047,” he added.

Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal (centre) at the Sagarmanthan summit in New Delhi, on Nov. 19, 2024. 

According to Sonowal, the two-day summit was aimed at finding creative solutions and new policy directions that "empower coastal communities and oceans based businesses".

Sagarmanthan has given a start to identify pathways and secure supply chains through as much green energy as possible "while working on effective partnerships between the local, the global, and the corporate", the minister added.

V"arious aspects of maritime sector like shipbuilding, working conditions of seafarers bridging gender gap, financing future development, innovative solutions, strategies to rebuild resilience and prosperity along our coasts while developing new routes for newer resources were discussed at length here today. This has given us ample knowledge - the nectar of Sagarmanthan - which we will respectfully study and apply towards sustainable evolution of maritime sector," he further said.