Mumbai, Oct. 13 -- India and the European Union have launched an industry coalition to develop a green shipping corridor between the two markets, supporting cleaner maritime trade routes and the adoption of low-emission fuels. The initiative was announced during the third edition of Sagar Manthan.

Shipping Secretary Vijay Kumar said the coalition would bring companies and other stakeholders together to develop green shipping infrastructure and accelerate the maritime sector's transition. He said international cooperation would be needed to strengthen supply-chain resilience, mobilise private investment and ensure emerging economies could participate in the shift towards cleaner fuels.

The coalition is expected to provide a platform for collaboration on cleaner maritime routes as the shipping industry faces pressure to reduce emissions while managing geopolitical disruptions, supply-chain vulnerabilities and technological changes. Its launch links India's maritime decarbonisation efforts with broader cooperation involving the EU.

India is also targeting a renewable energy share of more than 60 per cent in the overall energy consumption of its major ports by 2030, rising to over 90 per cent by 2047. Port operations are being shifted towards cleaner energy, with diesel-powered harbour tugs progressively being replaced by green-powered vessels.

Deendayal Port at Kandla, Paradip Port and V.O. Chidambaranar Port at Tuticorin have been identified as green hydrogen hubs for producing, storing and bunkering cleaner fuels. The ports are intended to support the production, storage and bunkering of green hydrogen as part of India's wider maritime strategy.

Alongside the energy transition, India aims to raise overall port capacity to 10 bn tonnes annually by 2047. Major ports handled more than 915 mn tonnes of cargo in 2025-26, compared with 581 mn tonnes in 2014-15, while cargo transported through national waterways rose to 218 mn tonnes from 18 mn tonnes in 2013-14.

Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Construction World.