At the Maritime Financing Summit 2025, India announces FDI reforms, a fund for shipbuilding, and a digital finance boost for ports.
In a major push to position India as a global maritime powerhouse, the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW) hosted the Maritime Financing Summit 2025 in New Delhi, unveiling a slew of landmark reforms under the Maritime Amrit Kaal Vision 2047.
Delivering the keynote address, Union Minister Shri Sarbananda Sonowal announced that India’s ports have now achieved a turnaround time of less than one day, a dramatic improvement from the earlier average of four days, placing Indian ports ahead of many developed nations. He also revealed that container capacity has surged by 70%, and cargo volumes via coastal and inland waterways have multiplied.
Highlighting India’s ambitions, the minister said, “Under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, India’s maritime transformation is accelerating. With 100% FDI now permitted in shipping, simplified customs, and GIFT City IFSC advantages, India offers one of the world’s most attractive maritime investment climates.”
Key announcements at the summit included
- Maritime Development Fund (MDF): A blended finance vehicle to fund shipyards, coastal infrastructure, and inland waterways.
- Digital Financial Maturity Matrix (FDMM): A tool to enhance financial digital readiness across major ports.
- Greenfield and Brownfield Support: Focus on building new shipbuilding clusters and expanding existing shipyards.
- Ship Leasing via GIFT City IFSC: Enabling innovative financing and ship ownership solutions.
- Recognition of large vessels as infrastructure assets and extension of the Shipbuilding Financial Assistance Scheme (SBFAS).
Minister of State Shri Shantanu Thakur underscored the need for long-term capital, calling the summit a “trust-building platform” between industry and institutions. “Our coastline is a gateway to opportunity,” he said, adding that enabling policies and global partnerships will help Indian shipping thrive.
The event also spotlighted recently passed reforms like the Bills of Lading Bill 2025, a move to modernise shipping documentation and ease business processes. Upcoming legislation such as the Merchant Shipping Bill and Coastal Shipping Bill will further bolster Indian-flagged tonnage.
Secretary of MoPSW Shri T.K. Ramachandran called the summit a “defining moment” in co-creating a self-reliant, globally competitive maritime economy driven by a four-pillar strategy: financing, capacity building, demand generation, and skills development.
The summit drew over 250 key stakeholders, including investors, shipowners, embassies, maritime boards, shipyards, and academia. Prominent global and domestic players such as SCI, AP Moller-Maersk, Cochin Shipyard, BEML, DNV, NaBFID, NIIF, and IIFCL participated, signalling broad industry support.
The event concluded with a strong message from Special Secretary Shri Rajesh Kumar Sinha, who reaffirmed the government’s commitment to financial innovation, institutional readiness, and policy alignment to drive India’s maritime growth through Amrit Kaal and beyond.
Source: PIB
