India’s blue economy push revolves around green maritime initiatives

India is on its way to becoming a major name in the global maritime sector. This year saw rapid growth in shipbuilding hubs such as the Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders and the Cochin Shipyard, along with major policy and ministry pushes led by the Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW) Sarbananda Sonowal. But how will we as a nation achieve this maritime glory? A new study details exactly that.

A recently published report from the Observer Research Foundation outlined 10 key recommendations to position India as a global leader in sustainable maritime development. It blends ocean health with economic opportunity.

The Sea of Hope: The Blue Economy Imperatives for the Global South with Reference to India report charts a pathway to transform India's massive maritime industry. "With the blue economy contributing roughly 4 per cent to GDP, its importance is clear," the report read. The study was backed by maritime major DP World.

Report recommendations

The report urges India to move beyond viewing nature as a constraint and instead recognise it as an asset. Here are a few of them:

Making a business case for the blue economy requires presenting ocean sustainability as economically viable, shifting from short-term financial returns toward broader recognition of "social rate of return, especially as sustainability increasingly influences consumer preferences, investor sentiments, and regulatory frameworks".

A critical push involves funding green maritime innovation. The authors recommend promoting innovation and green finance, i.e., establishing "research in low-emission shipping technologies, carbon capture onboard vessels, and AI-driven logistics for route optimisation", by pushing for blue bonds and sustainability-linked loans to upgrade ports with emission-reducing technologies.

The first two recommendations are also in line with India's Harit Sagar Green Port Guidelines, which aim to cut carbon intensity in port operations by 30 per cent by 2030 and 70 per cent by 2047.

Ecosystem-based solutions will be the game-changers for India's maritime movement, the report notes. This also includes protecting and restoring mangroves, seagrasses, and salt marshes, which can help "capture nearly 4 gigatons of carbon per year by 2030, increasing to over 11 gigatons annually by 2050".

The mangrove restoration initiative by DP World in Kochi aims to plant approximately 100,000 saplings across four coastal panchayats while creating livelihoods for over 1,000 community members.

Other recommendations from the study include developing sustainable ports, green corridors, and electrified equipment; promoting multimodal connectivity to move freight away from road transport; supporting climate finance; and engaging communities, upskilling, and protecting informal coastal economies.

Beyond token actions

The report further stressed that community engagement should move "beyond tokenism to structured co-ownership", with formal benefit-sharing agreements and decision-making power for local stakeholders. "Investing in skills building for training local youth and workers in marine logistics, ship repair, and renewable energy operations" is essential to develop human capital, it stated.

India recently announced the ₹25,000 crore Maritime Development Fund and initiatives like Sagarmala, which will add to the nation's push for maritime dominance.

Oceans generate a natural capital valued at $25 trillion annually, yet over 60 per cent of marine ecosystems face degradation, the report noted on many instances. This meant that the blue economy is "not merely an altruistic intent, but a development imperative from the perspective of the Global South," where billions depend directly on ocean resources for survival.

Maritime