Narendra Modi promises to restore India’s ‘position of eminence in the global maritime sector’

Opening the Maritime India Summit today in Mumbai, prime minister Narendra Modi promised to restore India’s “position of eminence in the global maritime sector”.

“We Indians are inheritors of a glorious maritime heritage. Maritime transport can be the most extensive mode of transport. It is also the most eco-friendly,” he said at the event, designed to lure plenty of foreign investment into local maritime industries.

Modi also called for port investments, with India looking to double capacity at its terminals from 1.5bn to 3bn tonnes by 2025.

“I call upon the international community to partner with us for port led development that will be an engine of growth,” Modi said, noting how India’s “vast” coastline of 7,500 km offers huge investment opportunities.

The minister for shipping Nitin Gadkari, speaking just before Modi, said seaborne trade from India has doubled in the past eight years.

The summit, organised by the ministry of shipping, runs until Saturday.