India is in talks with Saudi Arabia, Belgium and Bhutan to enhance maritime cooperation

Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal meets Saudi Arabia’s Suliman Almazroua (left), Belgium’s Annick De Ridder (centre) and Bhutan’s Lyonpo Chandra Bahadur Gurung in New Delhi. Photo: X/@sarbanandsonwal

Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal on Thursday (October 8, 2026) held a bilateral meeting with representatives of Saudi Arabia, Belgium and Bhutan during the second day of Sagarmanthan: The Great Oceans Dialogue 2026 in New Delhi.

He said Saudi Arabia has expressed interest in investing in India’s port projects, including Vadhavan and Galathea Bay, as well as the Maritime Development Fund. The two sides also discussed cooperation in shipbuilding, seafarer training and strengthening maritime supply chains.

With the Flemish Minister for Mobility, Public Works, Ports and Sports Annick De Ridder, Mr. Sonowal proposed exploring a green shipping corridor connecting Indian ports with Antwerp-Bruges.

Discussions covered green fuels, smart port technologies and dredging. VOC Port also signed an agreement with the Port of Antwerp to build capacities in green shipping and green fuels.

With Bhutan’s Minister of Infrastructure and Transport, Chandra Bahadur Gurung, Mr. Sonowal discussed the potential of National Waterway-2 and the Jogighopa Terminal as a gateway for Bhutanese cargo to global markets. The two sides also explored the utilization of the Manas and Sankosh rivers and maritime training for Bhutanese youth at the upcoming center of excellence at Dibrugarh.

Mr Sonowal said India’s maritime partnerships are expanding across the Persian Gulf, Europe and its neighbourhood, stressing the need to transform dialogue into investment, technology and research partnerships.

Separately, Minister of State for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Shantanu Thakur met representatives of Greece, Lithuania, Mozambique and Myanmar.

Discussions included direct shipping links, green ports, shipbuilding, ship repairs, seafarer training, the next phase of Sittwe port and cross-border inland water trade.

Big steps

At a press conference, Mr. Sonowal said India had moved from “maritime potential to maritime performance” under Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The capacity of the port has increased from 1,561 million tonnes per annum to 2,817 MTPA in the last 12 years, while cargo on inland waterways has increased from 29 million tonnes to 218 million tonnes. The average turnaround time of a container vessel decreased from 35 hours to 23 hours.

India’s seafaring workforce has also grown from 1.27 to 3.23 million, making it the second largest supplier of seafarers in the world. Active seafarers increased from 1,599 in 2021 to 7,033 in 2025. India aims to achieve 20% share of seafarers by 2030.

Mr. Sonowal also highlighted India’s plans to develop green hydrogen, ammonia and methanol capacity and position its ports as green fuel supply hubs under the Net Zero 2070 commitment.

Published – 8 Oct 2026 22:13 IST