The Observer Research Foundation and the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW) will co-host the first edition of the annual ‘Sagarmanthan: The Great Oceans Dialogue’ on 18-19 November 2024.
It offers India as an ideas arena for the world. The pathways that will shape global maritime policy will emerge from the debates amongst stakeholders representing different cultures, contexts, aspirations, and ambitions at this venue.
Indeed, India is well-suited to be the home of what promises to be a seminal annual gathering. The country has already contributed about 16 percent of global growth in 2023, and it is on its way to becoming the third-largest global economy within the next three years. As India grows, the maritime domain takes on a more critical role in international collaborations on commerce, connectivity, trade, and human well-being. With its growing heft in international relations, India has the opportunity and responsibility to play a more prominent role in maritime governance. This, however, requires deepening our engagement with diverse stakeholders from policymaking ecosystems, helping inform perspectives on India, its ambitions, presence, and interests, and steering conversations on issues of global relevance.
‘Sagarmanthan: The Great Oceans Dialogue’ aims to serve as a platform for critical conversations around the blue economy, maritime logistics, ports, shipping and waterways sectors, critical minerals, diversified supply chains, the global maritime economy, and training and labour standards.
It will bring together relevant stakeholders from across geographies and demographics. This includes leaders and policymakers, strategic thinkers, scholars, intergovernmental organisations, maritime policy research institutions, media, civil society, and industry. The overall goal will be to create the underpinnings for a new, more inclusive, accord for our oceans.
Emerging economies will be the driving force behind global growth in the coming years. Ocean connectivity must focus on allowing them to realise their potential. A development-first approach to blue infrastructure would include the interconnection of these centres of aspiration and activity, including through multimodal corridors like the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor initiated in late 2023. Hub-and-spoke maritime connectivity models could optimise seaborne trade, reduce costs, and stimulate growth. This would, however, need investment and technological innovation. Substantial investments in advanced technologies, infrastructure upgrades, and streamlined supply chain operations are essential. India’s maritime strengths afford it a position of advantage, and it should capitalise on this opportunity by creating a supportive ecosystem that encourages innovation and adaptability.
Oceans, as crucial pathways for global trade, are central to the geo-economics of the 21st century. This magnifies the role of emerging littoral states and island nations. The Global South’s growing influence in geoeconomic efforts and global development discourse is complemented by the developed world’s interest in the Indo-Pacific. However, emerging economies are grappling with supply chain disruptions, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and the geoeconomic decoupling of key global players; they also face challenges such as rising sea levels and over-reliance on key chokepoints. Multiple partnerships, many of them involving India, are emerging to ensure that access to the oceans remains free and open.
Shipping, while the cleanest and most cost-effective means of trade, is nevertheless emerging as the domain witnessing critical efforts at reducing carbon emissions. As the industry searches for ways to decarbonise operations without disrupting vital supply chains, it also faces other sustainability challenges, including biodiversity decline, the well-being of coastal communities, and poor ocean governance. Innovation will play a key role in overcoming these obstacles. Indeed, technology will alter the sector as a whole. Artificial Intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things (IoT), and robotics will revolutionise supply chains, the business performance of small and large enterprises, employment and livelihood dynamics, and emerging governance paradigms.
Governance of the oceanic global commons must be designed to serve coastal communities and the broader sustainable development goals. From biodiversity to lifestyle protection—multiple issues must be addressed through a transformation in how we assess the seas. This transformation in our mindsets and institutions comes alongside tectonic transformations in the material world—novel technologies are emerging, the shipping industry is undergoing a green transition, and more actors are staking their claims in the maritime domain. Amidst this rapidly evolving landscape, it is clear that a forward-looking approach is essential if we are to mould a more sustainable global maritime architecture in the years to come. A central imperative is the readiness to adapt to developments that we may not even be able to foresee today. The essentiality of a people-centred approach to all endeavours is indisputable, even if it is simply the most resilient of all approaches.
