During the inauguration, Shah said, “India's maritime industry serves as a vital bridge between the Global South and international trade.” Shah highlighted India's strong maritime position, which he said could play a major role in the economy by contributing about 60% to India's GDP.
He noted that the country has a coastline of over 11,000 kilometres and 13 coastal states and Union Territories.Shah mentioned that India has 23.7 lakh sq km of exclusive economic zones and special economic zones that attract investors and manufacturers from around the world.
“With around 800 million people living in coastal regions, nearly half of India’s population depends directly or indirectly on maritime activities,” he said.
#WATCH | Mumbai: Union Home Minister Amit Shah says, "India's maritime strength and strategic location are evident from the fact that our coastline is over
11,000 kilometres long. There are 13 coastal states and Union Territories, and our maritime business contributes… https://t.co/elFNtrRP69 pic.twitter.com/JFpud7tYhy
— ANI (@ANI) October 27, 2025
He added that the 28 countries in the Indian Ocean region together make up about 12% of global exports. “Today, two-thirds of global trade travels through the Indo-Pacific sea route, and 90% of India's trade also travels by sea,” he added.
#WATCH | Mumbai: Union Home Minister Amit Shah says, "Prime Minister Modi's maritime vision is based on the three pillars of security, sustainability, and self-reliance. Along with the Maritime India Vision 2030, we have launched initiatives such as Sagar, Sagarmala, Blue… pic.twitter.com/NoQAVU3CMZ
— ANI (@ANI) October 27, 2025
“Through a maritime summit, we are opening up this full potential to global investors and champions of the global maritime industry," he said.
Shah also spoke about the upcoming Vadhavan Port project in Maharashtra, stating that it would rank amongst the top ten ports in the world in the future.
He inaugurated the India Maritime Week 2025 in the presence of Union Minister Sarbanada Sonowal and Shantanu Thakur. Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis, Deputy CMs Ajit Pawar and Eknath Shinde, Goa CM Pramod Sawant, Odisha CM Mohan Charan Majhi, and Gujarat CM Bhupendra Patel were present on the occasion.
Delegates and ministers from 11 countries will be seen taking part in the event. The main goal of the event is to make India a global leader in the ‘Blue Economy.’
The event is expected to bring together over 1 lakh participants from 85 countries, with 500 companies showing their products and technologies and 350 speakers sharing ideas across different areas of the maritime industry.
