By Akshaya Kumar Sahoo

Copyright deccanchronicle

Bhubaneswar: The Paradip Port Authority, under the Union ministry of ports, shipping and waterways (MoPSW), on Wednesday organised a roadshow in Bhubaneswar to build momentum for India Maritime Week (IMW) 2025. Themed “Navigating the Shift of Indian Maritime Sector: From Volume to Vision,” the event highlighted India’s maritime ambitions and Odisha’s growing role as a key player. The roadshow was attended by senior government officials, industry leaders and policymakers, including Odisha’s industries minister Sampad Chandra Swain, Jagatsinghpur Lok Sabha member Bibhu Prasad Tarai, Additional Chief Secretary (industries) Hemant Sharma, and principal secretary (commerce & transport) Usha Padhee. Welcoming delegates, Paradip Port Chairman P.L. Haranadh said IMW 2025—scheduled in Mumbai from October 27–31 this year—would be a five-day global forum bringing together over 100 maritime nations, 200 international speakers, 500 exhibitors and one lakh delegates. “The event will deliberate on port modernisation, capacity expansion, green shipping, shipbuilding, finance, insurance, and maritime security,” he said, adding that Paradip Port alone expects investment MoUs worth more than Rs 1 lakh crore—nearly a tenth of the ministry’s Rs 10 lakh crore target. Haranadh also referred to recent MoUs signed in Gujarat for three mega projects in Odisha: the proposed Bahuda Major Port (Rs 21,500 crore), a shipbuilding hub at Mahanadi mouth (Rs 24,700 crore), and a cruise terminal at Puri. He stressed the “One Nation, One Port” initiative to streamline efficiency and ease of doing business. Odisha’s maritime vision featured prominently in the discussions. Usha Padhee outlined plans to scale port capacity from 80 MTPA to 500 MTPA by 2047 through new infrastructure, modernization, and a proposed Odisha Maritime Board. She emphasised the importance of private participation, resilient infrastructure and inclusivity, particularly women’s participation in the maritime workforce. Hemant Sharma highlighted the synergy between Odisha’s industrial growth and port-led development. With the state economy growing at 8–9 per cent, he said global value-chain integration was crucial, noting investor interest in shipbuilding and ship repair projects. MP Bibhu Prasad Tarai lauded Centre–State collaboration to position Odisha as a maritime hub, while minister Sampad Chandra Swain said the state was ready to serve as India’s “eastern maritime gateway.” He stressed alignment with Viksit Bharat 2047 and Viksit Odisha 2036, underlining opportunities in shipbuilding, ship recycling, and the blue economy. The programme concluded with panel discussions on cargo efficiency and digital pathways for smart ports. Supported by Grant Thornton as knowledge partner and Assocham as industry partner, the event reinforced Odisha’s ambitions to anchor India’s next phase of maritime growth. IMW 2025 is MoPSW’s flagship initiative, expected to draw over one lakh delegates from more than 100 countries, making it the largest maritime gathering in the country’s history.