Mumbai: Several countries, including Greece, Egypt, Israel and Turkey, are likely to skip the Global Maritime India Summit-2023 scheduled to be held in Mumbai on Tuesday following the ongoing war between Israel and Palestine. The summit, which will be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi via video conferencing is, however, likely to witness the participation of around 30 countries, a government official said. Earlier, the number of participating countries was more than 70.
During the programme, Modi will unveil ‘Amrit Kaal Vision 2047’, the long-term blueprint for the Indian maritime blue economy. The blueprint outlines strategic initiatives aimed at enhancing port facilities, promoting sustainable practices, and facilitating international collaboration. Modi will lay the foundation stone of projects worth more than Rs 23,000 crore, that are aligned with the ‘Amrit Kaal Vision 2047’ for the Indian maritime blue economy.
Modi will also lay the foundation stone of the Tuna Tekra all-weather deep draft terminal, to be built at a cost of more than Rs. 4,500 crore at Deendayal Port Authority in Gujarat. This state-of-the-art greenfield terminal will be developed in PPP mode. The terminal, which is likely to emerge as an international trade hub, will handle next-gen vessels exceeding 18,000 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) and will act as a gateway for Indian trade via the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEEC). The Prime Minister will also dedicate more than 300 Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) worth more than Rs 7,00,000 crore for global and national partnerships in the maritime sector, during the programme.
Sources from the organising committee of the event told ETV Bharat that several top leaders from Israel and Egypt are likely to participate in the event, but due to the ongoing situation, they are unlikely to attend the event. “Several participants had earlier confirmed their participation, but they later cancelled their participation,” sources said. The conference is likely to generate investment opportunities worth Rs 10,00,000 crore with a possibility of generating over 15 lakh job opportunities.
The three-day-long conference from Tuesday to Thursday will see the participation of several domestic and foreign players in the field of maritime and shipping. On day one of the conference captains of the industry will sit together to explore opportunities on the global economic corridor.
The four-day-long conference has been divided into different sessions that include developing ports for the future, driving innovation and research in the maritime sector, green shipping and ports among others. Another major issue that will be discussed during the three-day-long conference is maritime safety and security. “Mitigating risks for seafarers in unstable regions and maritime security alliance will be discussed among the world leaders in the conference.
