India and Japan agreed to deepen maritime relations for a sustainable, mutually beneficial future.
Key Areas of Maritime Cooperation
- Smart Islands: Andaman Nicobar Islands and Lakswadeep islands to be converted into ‘Smart Islands’ through:
- sustainable technologies (renewable energy, smart mobility),
- disaster-resilient infrastructure, and
- digital connectivity, etc.
- Maritime collaboration and Investment: India can benefit from expertise of Japanese shipbuilding, co-development of ports and maritime industrial clusters.
- India aims to scale up investments with Japan, targeting more than ₹3 lakh crore by 2027.
- India also plans a Greenfield investment of Imabari Shipbuilding in Andhra Pradesh.
- Maritime Heritage and Cultural Cooperation: India sought Japan’s cooperation for developing the proposed National Maritime Heritage Museum (NMHC) at Lothal in Gujarat.
- NMHC aims to showcase India’s rich maritime history and legacy and serves as a world-class centre for heritage tourism, education, and research in the maritime sector.
- Upskilling human resources: India’s ~154,000 trained seafarers may supplement Japan’s maritime workforce.
Significance of India-Japan Maritime Cooperation
|