Report on Sagarmanthan: The Great Oceans Dialogue 2025

Day 1 

The inaugural session opened with an address by R. Lakshmanan, Joint Secretary of MoPS&W, who underlined the strategic position of India in the development of global maritime policy. He highlighted the increasing importance of coastal metropolitan areas in economic and infrastructural change and emphasized that maritime development should make the local communities stakeholders in the process.
 

The first panel, Sustainable Supply Chains: Shaping the Future of Global Logistics, examined the structural changes in global trade. Discussions centered on how technology, robust infrastructure, and inter-governmental collaboration can revolutionize maritime supply chains. Robert Tieman, the Minister of Infrastructure and Water Management of the Netherlands, spoke about the potential of the “skills passport”, a model that evaluates competency. The President of ORF, Samir Saran, discussed the flexibility of the global trade systems in the face of uncertainty and asked to reconsider the logistical partnerships in the context of the new geopolitical realities.

Fisheries and Ocean Policy Minister Marianne Sivertsen Næss of Norway raised the issue of gender imbalance at sea. She called for concrete steps towards safety and representation of the women seafarers. Johannah Christensen, CEO of the Global Maritime Forum in Denmark, observed that the post-pandemic period has made shipping a high-political game, where trade routes have strategic and also commercial consequences.

Another regional viewpoint was provided by Sri Lanka’s Minister of Ports and Civil Aviation, Anura Karunathilaka, who presented plans for developing Colombo, Trincomalee, and Hambantota into automated port hubs in South Asia. The day concluded with an address by Sarbananda Sonowal, Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, who reaffirmed India’s vision for a green, interconnected, and innovation-driven maritime ecosystem under the Maritime Amrit Kaal Vision 2047. He also stressed innovation, cooperation, and sustainability as the pillars of the maritime strategy of India.

Day 2

The second day brought into the limelight regional interdependence, sustainable resource management, and socio-ecological aspects of maritime development. Throughout the discussion, panelists were observed to transition between extractive and adaptive approaches.

The first session, Redrawing the Map: New Routes to Critical Minerals, analyzed the ways in which the global energy transformation alters maritime trade. The panelists exchanged views about the increasing demand for lithium, cobalt, and rare earth elements and how they are concentrated in Africa, Asia, and Latin America, and refining capacity is confined to some areas. They cautioned about the fact that this balance would cause economic and strategic problems. Bruno Pozzi, who is the Deputy Secretary-General of the International Seabed Authority, emphasized that technological advancement should be accompanied by moral management of the seas. The other contributors, including Irene Cynthia, Ajith P. Perera, Nancy Karigithu, Mads Qvist Frederiksen, and Konstantinos Foutzopoulos, opined that the localization of resource processing would enhance developing economies.

Gavin Allwright, Secretary-General of the International Windship Association, emphasized the necessity to ensure the convergence of global regulations. He noted that the absence of a global carbon-pricing system continues to hamper the process of decarbonization, notwithstanding the increased popularity of sustainable shipping.

The session, Coastal Resilience: Local Knowledge Meets Climate Adaptation, shifted attention to community-led approaches. Authority Panelists highlighted that traditional ecological knowledge, as accumulated over centuries of living on the coast, was relevant when it comes to resilience planning. Representatives, Jodie Kuntzsch (New Zealand), Fatafehi Fakafanua (Tonga), Pierangelo Campodonico (Italy), Deepak Shetty (India), and Algis Latakas (Lithuania) provided examples that explained how the local observation, adaptive practices, and cooperative governance may enhance climate responses. Moderator Teenah Jutton guided the discussion by asking how the mechanisms might be used to direct the global climate-adaptation financing at community-based projects instead of the top-down intervention.

Day 3

The final day focused on cooperation systems and fairness in the global blue economy, weaving together themes of inclusion, sustainability, and shared growth. 

At the plenary, Oceans of Opportunity: Reimagining the Global Blue Economy, ministers and thought leaders discussed the need to balance ecological responsibility and economic opportunity. Participants, including Magdalene Dagoseh (Liberia), Arvin Boolell (Mauritius), Anthony Smith Jr. (Antigua and Barbuda), Helene Tofte (Norway), and René Gomez (Panama), highlighted ways to have inclusive financing and international cooperation. The panel underlined the need for greater representation of smaller states in shaping global maritime systems.

The subsequent plenary, Pearls in the Ocean: SIDS and Emerging Maritime Economies, was an expansion of the discussion to the Global South. Neena Malhotra, the Secretary (South), Ministry of External Affairs, reaffirmed India’s commitment to the South-South cooperation in the area of maritime governance. Speakers from the Bahamas, Tonga, Tunisia, Comoros, Papua New Guinea, and Spain discussed strategies for enhancing the infrastructure, promoting responsible investment, and inclusion in global supply chains. Their comments emphasized fair collaboration and capacity building among the developing maritime countries.
 

The dialogue concluded with an inspiring address by Lieutenant Commanders Dilna K. and Roopa A., the first Indian women officers to complete the Navika Sagar Parikrama circumnavigation mission. Their reflections on the mission represented the lived experience of women redefining participation in maritime service. Dilna described India’s maritime sector as standing at the threshold of “an ocean of opportunities” and expressed appreciation for the institutional support provided by the Ministry of Defence and senior leadership.

The valedictory session fittingly tied together the conference’s core themes of innovation, inclusion, and collective responsibility. The dialogue reaffirmed a collective commitment to preserving the oceans as a source of opportunity and life for generations to come, inspiring renewed dedication to turning vision into action.