Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari on Monday addressed the India Maritime Week 2025 in Mumbai, where he underscored the importance of adopting innovative financial models to accelerate growth in India’s maritime sector. Speaking on the theme “Innovative Mechanisms for Ship Financing,” Gadkari called for greater private sector participation and creative funding strategies to strengthen India’s maritime infrastructure and competitiveness.
Highlighting that India’s maritime economy is valued at nearly USD 1 trillion (₹84 lakh crore), Gadkari said the sector offers vast investment opportunities in ports, shipping, and logistics. Drawing parallels with the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways’ success in leveraging Toll-Operate-Transfer (ToT), Infrastructure Investment Trusts (InvITs), and Public-Private Partnership (PPP) models, he noted that these initiatives had helped mobilize ₹1.4 lakh crore and increased private participation from 10% to 35%.
“By adopting similar innovative mechanisms in the maritime sector, we can expedite project implementation, enhance quality, and reduce the financial load on the government, while fostering efficiency and innovation through private investment,” Gadkari said.
During the event, the minister also launched the CMEG (RIS) – India Maritime Report 2025–26, titled “Uniting Oceans, One Maritime Vision: India’s Maritime Strides.” The report outlines India’s recent progress in maritime development and its roadmap for becoming a global leader in the blue economy.
Gadkari praised Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal for advancing Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Sagarmala 2.0 vision, which aims to boost shipbuilding, ship repair and recycling, improve port efficiency, strengthen coastal economies, and revive inland waterways as sustainable transport corridors.
He emphasized that private innovation, transparent governance, and time-bound execution are key to positioning India as a trusted global maritime hub. “By ensuring transparency and efficiency, we can build lasting global confidence in India’s maritime leadership,” Gadkari said.
The India Maritime Week 2025 brought together policymakers, industry leaders, and investors to explore strategies for unlocking the full potential of India’s maritime economy through technology, partnerships, and forward-looking financial models.