On the sidelines of the Sagarmanthan: The Great Oceans Dialogue 2026 in New Delhi, Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal spearheaded extensive bilateral discussions with Saudi Arabia, Belgium, and Bhutan to expand global maritime networks and drive strategic port investments. Saudi Arabia showed strong interest in backing India’s flagship port infrastructure projects, including the Vadhavan and Galathea Bay ventures, as well as the Maritime Development Fund, alongside collaborations in seafarer training and shipbuilding. In talks with Flemish Minister Annick De Ridder, India proposed creating a dedicated green shipping corridor connecting Indian ports with Antwerp-Bruges, marked by a capacity-building agreement signed between V.O. Chidambaranar Port and the Port of Antwerp for green fuels and smart technologies. With Bhutan’s Infrastructure and Transport Minister Lyonpo Chandra Bahadur Gurung, discussions centered on unlocking regional trade by utilizing National Waterway-2 (Brahmaputra) and Assam’s Jogighopa multimodal terminal to link landlocked Bhutan to international markets.
Parallel diplomatic engagements were led by Minister of State Shantanu Thakur, who held talks with delegates from Greece, Lithuania, Mozambique, and Myanmar covering direct shipping links, cross-border inland water trade, and the next development phase of Myanmar’s Sittwe Port. Emphasizing India’s shift from “maritime potential to maritime performance,” Mr. Sonowal highlighted key sector milestones, noting that national port handling capacity has expanded to 2,817 million tonnes per annum, inland cargo movements have risen to 218 million tonnes, and median container vessel turnaround times have dropped sharply to 23 hours. Moreover, India has consolidated its standing as the world’s second-largest supplier of seafarers, with an active workforce of 3.23 lakh personnel and a focused target of achieving 20 percent female participation by 2030 as the country positions its ports as green-fuel bunkering hubs in line with its Net Zero commitments.