Union Minister for Labour & Employment and Youth Affairs & Sports, Dr. Mansukh L. Mandaviya, delivered the keynote address at the GMIS – Maritime Human Capital Session at India Maritime Week (IMW) 2025 at the Bombay Exhibition Centre, Mumbai, today. The session, under the theme “Navigating the Future: Building a Modern Maritime Workforce”, was organised as part of the Global Maritime Innovation Summit (GMIS) track. The focus of the session lay on India’s strategy to develop a modern, skilled, and globally competitive maritime workforce aligned with the nation’s rapid growth in shipping, ports, and logistics.

आज मुंबई में India Maritime Week 2025 को संबोधित किया।

प्रधानमंत्री श्री @narendramodi जी के नेतृत्व में भारत वैश्विक Maritime Hub बनने की ओर अग्रसर है। pic.twitter.com/E7TnFlwwLk

— Dr Mansukh Mandaviya (@mansukhmandviya) October 30, 2025

In his keynote address, Dr. Mandaviya emphasized that India’s maritime strength lies not only in its ports and ships but in its people — the skilled professionals who will drive the sector’s future. He stated that the maritime industry must not only build ships but also “build futures for millions of young Indians seeking global careers.” “The coming era belongs to India. We have our greatest strength: a young population, with 35% youth. Our demographic dividend will drive India to emerge as a global maritime leader,” he said.

The Minister highlighted the government’s vision to make India a global hub for maritime employment by integrating skilling programs with new-age technologies like artificial intelligence, digitalisation, automation, and green fuels. He called upon industry leaders and training institutions to collaborate closely to equip India’s workforce with future-ready skills. “As we march towards our vision for Viksit Bharat at 2047, we are taking inspiration from our profound maritime legacy and shaping a future where India reclaims its global maritime stature,” he underlined.

Director General of Shipping, Shri Shyam Jagannathan, outlined India’s initiatives in maritime skilling, digital transformation, and gender inclusivity. He announced that India’s share of global seafarers, currently at 12 percent, is projected to rise to 20 percent by 2030 through enhanced training capacity and international placements. He also unveiled the upcoming digital certification system for Indian seafarers, to be implemented by February 2026, along with two key initiatives — Sagar Mein Samman for promoting gender inclusion and Sagar Mein Yog for holistic wellness and training among seafarers.

The session also celebrated India’s first women maritime achievers, including captains, chief engineers, pilots, and naval architects, for their pioneering contributions toward inclusive maritime growth. This recognition marked a key step toward gender equity and empowerment within the maritime ecosystem.

Two high-level panel discussions followed, featuring national and international experts from leading maritime organisations such as the German Maritime Center, Indian Register of Shipping, The Institute of Marine Engineers India, Synergy Marine Group, and MASSA. The discussions focused on the future of maritime employment, digital skilling, sustainability leadership, and global talent mobility. Experts highlighted how the maritime workforce of the future will need to master advanced technologies, manage autonomous systems, and adapt to green transitions across global shipping.

The event concluded with a felicitation ceremony and a vote of thanks, reaffirming that India’s maritime transformation must go hand in hand with human capital development. The session underlined that by 2047, India aims to emerge not just as a maritime powerhouse but as a global provider of skilled maritime professionals, shaping the future of sustainable and inclusive growth in the global ocean economy.

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Rini Choudhury/Anjelina Alexander

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