Union Minister of Ports, Shipping & Waterways, Shri Sarbananda Sonowal, met with Japan’s Vice Minister for International Affairs, Terada Yoshimichi, from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport & Tourism (MLIT), in Oslo to deepen maritime cooperation between the two countries.
Key discussion areas included investment from Japanese shipyards, joint ventures in shipbuilding and port development, port digitisation, green port initiatives, seafarer training, and human resource upskilling. The two sides also explored the development of Andaman & Nicobar and Lakshadweep islands into “Smart Islands” using sustainable technologies and disaster-resilient infrastructure.
Minister Sonowal highlighted Japan’s expertise in island development, shipbuilding, and renewable technologies, inviting leading Japanese companies like Imabari Shipbuilding, JMUC, Kanagawa Dockyard, and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries for collaboration. India also encouraged participation from NYK Line, MOL, and K Line in its growing maritime sector.
Both nations agreed to boost maritime R&D, especially in sustainable technologies and next-generation ship design. Discussions also touched upon a potential MoU involving Cochin Shipyard Limited, Indian universities, and Japanese public agencies.
India offered its large pool of over 154,000 trained seafarers to supplement Japan’s maritime workforce and welcomed training and employment opportunities for Indian personnel.
India also invited Japan to partner in the National Maritime Heritage Museum at Lothal, Gujarat, and extended an invitation to Japan for the India Maritime Week 2025 in Mumbai (27–31 October).
Minister Sonowal emphasized that Indo-Japanese ties, rooted in shared democratic values and mutual trust, are poised to scale new heights, targeting ?3.2 lakh crore (five trillion yen) in Japanese investments by 2027