Anchoring India’s Maritime Renaissance through Innovation and Digital Transformation

By S. Viswanathan, IAS, Deputy Chairperson, Chennai Port Authority

India’s maritime sector stands at a precipice of transformation, poised to regain its lost legacy as a global maritime power. From the dockyards of Lothal to the spice routes of Muziris, India once shaped world trade through innovations like stitched-plank ships, the catamaran, and mastery of monsoon navigation. Yet centuries of colonial rule dimmed this brilliance, turning vibrant hubs of exploration into mere gateways of cargo.

Precipice of Transformation

India’s maritime sector stands at the precipice of transformation, poised to regain its lost legacy as a global maritime power. From the dockyards of Lothal to the spice routes of Muziris, India once shaped world trade through innovations like stitched-plank ships, the catamaran, and mastery of monsoon navigation. Yet centuries of colonial rule dimmed this brilliance, turning vibrant hubs of exploration into mere gateways of cargo.

Today, as the sector handles 95% of India’s trade by volume and 68% by value, it stands at a critical juncture. The September 2025 DPIIT Report pegs logistics costs at 7.97% of GDP—an improvement, yet still above global benchmarks. This resurgence hinges on overcoming deep-rooted challenges—ageing infrastructure and fragmented coordination—through bold, innovative measures that can once again make India’s ports engines of progress and symbols of maritime excellence.

As Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam said, “Excellence happens not by accident. It is a process.” This philosophy defines India’s maritime journey under Maritime India Vision 2030 (MIV 2030) and Maritime Amrit Kaal Vision 2047 (MAKV 2047)—a journey of steady innovation, disciplined execution, and collaborative growth.                                                             

Nurturing Maritime Innovation         

The Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways (MoPS&W) has spearheaded the Sagarmala Start-up and Innovation Initiative (S2I2), establishing a national framework to nurture maritime innovation. The Maritime India Foundation (MIF) serves as the key funding institution, connecting ports, start-ups, and Maritime Innovation Hubs (MIHs)at IIT Madras, IIT Bombay, IIT Kharagpur, and IMU Chennai.

Under this model, problem statements are sourced directly from ports and offered to start-ups as innovation challenges. MIHs provide technical assistance to develop viable solutions and pilot projects will be implemented at pilot ports. The selected pilot projects are implemented at identified ports, creating a structured pathway for proof-of-concept, validation, and eventual commercialization.

The recent “MAR-a-thon” Hackathon initiative, launched under this model, has already received over 150 applications from start-ups, signalling the growing confidence of young innovators in India’s maritime ecosystem. MoUs with the selected start-ups are proposed to be concluded during the upcoming India Maritime Week, scheduled to be held from October 27 to 31, 2025, marking a significant step toward translating innovation into implementation.

The central element of innovation in India’s maritime sector lies in digital transformation, which rests on two pillars — information architecture and technological convergence.

Unified Digital Framework

Information architecture focuses on seamless data exchange among the many stakeholders that drive port operations — customs, shipping lines, freight forwarders, stevedores, transporters, and warehouse operators. Today, each operates through separate systems, causing inefficiency and opacity. A unified digital framework is essential for real-time coordination and transparency. India has already begun building this foundation through the National Logistics Portal (NLP Marine), a single-window platform for vessel and cargo operations; the Unified Logistics Interface Platform (ULIP), integrating over 44 government systems through 136 APIs; and PMGati Shakti, which maps more than 1,600 infrastructure layers on a GIS-based platform to align digital and physical planning. In addition, the One Nation One Port Process (ONOPP) is standardizing documentation and workflows across ports, ensuring interoperability and efficiency.

Technological Convergence

Technological convergence, the second pillar, integrates emerging technologies like IoT, AI, satellite data, and 5G to make ports intelligent and adaptive. The Digital Twin—a virtual replica of port infrastructure updated with real-time data—represents this shift. The idea dates back to NASA’s Apollo missions in the 1960s, where mirrored spacecraft systems were used to simulate and troubleshoot in real time. In 2018, the Port of Rotterdam, in collaboration with Esri, IBM, Cisco, and Axians, advanced this concept through a large-scale digital twin integrating IoT and 5G for real-time vessel, weather, and infrastructure management.

For India, the way forward is a federated model—where national platforms like NLP Marine and ULIP provide shared infrastructure, while ports and start-ups build localized applications suited to regional conditions, ensuring sustainable and intelligent port growth As India steers toward 2047, initiatives like the India Maritime Week (IMW) 2025 mark crucial steps in this transformation. During IMW, ports, start-ups, and research institutions will formalize collaborations through MoUs under the Sagarmala Start-up and Innovation Initiative, translating maritime innovation into actionable, on-ground solutions for sustainable growth.

About The Author