India races to rebuild its lost maritime muscle: ‘come aboard’
India is eyeing a future as a leading shipping and shipbuilding nation, backed by big investments – and expertise from South Korea and Japan
Centuries ago, Indian merchants rode monsoon winds across the seas, their cargoes stitching together a maritime world stretching from East Africa to Southeast Asia.
It was more than a sales pitch. Modi’s administration seeks to reclaim India’s maritime prowess and anchor itself as a resilient economic and strategic force at a moment of rising geopolitical uncertainty.
“When the global seas are rough, the world looks for a steady lighthouse,” Modi told the Global Maritime CEO Forum on October 29. “India is well poised to play that role with strength and stability.”
In his speech at India Maritime Week, the prime minister pitched his country as “a symbol of strategic autonomy, peace and inclusive growth” that would weather global tensions, trade disruptions and shifting supply chains.