Bhavna Pimpale –
The final day of the Maritime India Conference and Expo 2026 witnessed wide-ranging discussions on cruise tourism, coastal shipping, inland waterways, maritime finance, infrastructure expansion and security, with industry leaders emphasising the need for integrated policymaking, stronger logistics connectivity and investment-friendly ecosystems to unlock India’s blue economy potential.
During the session on Cruise Tourism, Coastal Shipping, Inland Waterways & Riverine Logistics, panellists stressed that coastal shipping should be viewed as an integral component of the wider supply chain rather than as a competitor to road or rail transport.
Industry representatives highlighted that schedule reliability and seamless multimodal connectivity remain critical challenges. One speaker remarked that “rail, road and shipping cannot be viewed as competitors,” adding that true efficiency would come only when all modes operate in an integrated manner. Concerns were also raised regarding first-mile and last-mile connectivity, vessel turnaround times and the need for predictable logistics chains.
Drawing attention to inland waterways, participants noted the environmental and congestion-reduction benefits of barge transportation. They called for accelerated dredging programmes, upgraded bridge infrastructure and improved navigational planning to support greater cargo movement through rivers and canals.
Responding to these concerns, A.K. Mishra, Chief Engineer (Planning and Coordination), Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI), said the Authority continues to monitor water depths, fairway conditions and river channel movements while providing real-time navigational information through online platforms. He stated that IWAI remains particularly vigilant during low-water periods and undertakes hydrographic surveys, river training works and channel maintenance to facilitate safe vessel operations.
Panellists agreed that destination management, public awareness and utilisation of institutional initiatives such as the Cruise Bharat Mission would be vital to accelerating cruise tourism and waterborne transport growth.
The subsequent session, Financing, Capacity Expansion & Maritime Security: Building a Resilient Blue Economy, examined the investment and policy frameworks needed to support India’s maritime ambitions.
Speaking on maritime talent development, Dr Saurabh Dave highlighted India’s demographic advantages and growing maritime education ecosystem. He observed that industry-academia collaboration must extend beyond recruitment to include curriculum development, live projects, research partnerships and emerging disciplines such as artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and data analytics. He noted that India should aspire to become a globally benchmarked maritime talent hub capable of supporting the country’s long-term ambitions.
From an investor perspective, K. Mukundan of the National Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF) emphasised that large-scale maritime investments require strong revenue visibility, transparent risk allocation, regulatory certainty and access to domestic debt capital. He noted that global institutional investors remain interested in India’s ports and logistics sector where long-term opportunities and policy stability exist.
The role of GIFT City in strengthening maritime finance also came under focus. Ashutosh Sharma of the International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSCA) said regulatory reforms, tax incentives and foreign-currency financing mechanisms have already attracted leading shipping companies and facilitated significant vessel financing activity. He described the initiative as part of a broader effort to position India as a global maritime and shipping-finance hub.
Technology and infrastructure emerged as recurring themes throughout the discussions. Mishra Koushik Kumar of Trelleborg Marine & Infrastructure argued that future-ready ports must prioritise speed, safety, security, sustainability and synergy. He advocated embedding digital technologies, artificial intelligence, IoT-enabled systems, smart berthing solutions and cybersecurity measures into port design from inception rather than as later retrofits.
The conference concluded with a shared message from policymakers, industry leaders and maritime professionals: India’s maritime future will depend on coordinated action across logistics, finance, infrastructure, technology, skills development and regulatory reform. As one panellist observed, the opportunities ahead are significant, provided stakeholders work together to build a connected and globally competitive maritime ecosystem.
Marex Media