The inaugural session sets the stage for a transformative dialogue by emphasizing the urgency and opportunity in decarbonizing maritime operations. Senior dignitaries and subject-matter experts will explore strategies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in port ecosystems and shipping corridors.
Greening India’s Shipping Sector – Exploring India’s roadmap to reduce emissions in maritime transport and align with global green shipping practices.
Transitioning to Sustainable Ports – Focus on energy-efficient operations, renewable integration, digital infrastructure, and ESG standards.
Sustainable Transition of Inland Waterways – Promoting modal shift, eco-friendly vessels, smart dredging, and sustainable infrastructure along rivers.
Decarbonisation – An International perspective – Reviewing key global strategies including IMO’s GHG strategy, EU’s FuelEU Maritime initiative, and green corridors.
Setting up of National & International Green Corridor and Bunkering facilities – Enabling cross-border cooperation, infrastructure development, and policy alignment for green fuel corridors.
Implementation of Shore to Ship power supply and its feasibility – Technical, economic, and policy considerations for shore power adoption in Indian ports.
Green Mobility in Port Sectors – Transitioning to electric or hybrid port equipment and low-emission logistics vehicles.
Plastic-Free Maritime Sector – Strategies to eliminate plastic waste from ships, ports, and marine ecosystems.
Integration of Maritime Decarbonisation with National Climate Goals – Aligning port and shipping initiatives with India’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).
Shri Amlan Bora, Chief Representative, South Asia, Port of Rotterdam
Shri Sanjay Verma, Consultant, IWAI
Shri Senthil Subramanian, CEO, DBGT
Shri KK Hota, CGM NTPC
Shri KM Rao, Principal Officer, DG Shipping
Shri Arunachalam, Sembcorp
Shri Subrat Tripathy, President, Business Development, Adani Group
This session explored the multifaceted pathways to decarbonising India’s maritime sector, highlighting efforts across ports, shipping, and inland waterways. The session featured senior representatives from global ports, major port operators, government agencies, energy companies, and maritime technology providers. Discussions revolved around aligning India’s maritime ambitions with international decarbonisation goals, addressing key challenges such as green corridor development, shore power implementation, green mobility, and integration with national climate targets.
The session began with Shri Amlan Bora, he emphasised the existential nature of the Netherlands’ energy transition, driven by its geography where much of the country lies 10 meters below sea level. The Port of Rotterdam is central to achieving Dutch and EU carbon neutrality goals through a four-pillar strategy: industrial electrification, green energy infrastructure, circular feedstocks, and sustainable transport. India’s prominence at the World Hydrogen Summit, from being unmentioned in the first edition to hosting the largest pavilion by the third and speaking at the inaugural dais in the fourth, signals its rising global credibility. He highlighted India’s rising credibility in the global green hydrogen landscape and called attention to midstream infrastructure as critical for scaling the hydrogen economy.
He emphasised that midstream infrastructure, pipelines, storage, barging routes, and port readiness, is critical for scaling the hydrogen economy. Furthermore, he highlighted the strength of India–EU and India–Netherlands cooperation, including MoUs between the Netherlands and India’s Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (with TERI as a knowledge partner), which focus on technology transfer, institutional collaboration, and green fuel value chain development. He lauded international cooperation, citing the India–Norway–Netherlands hydrogen partnership as a model for trilateral decarbonisation.
Shri Subrat Tripathy, noted that responsible port operators must lead the clean energy shift. India and particularly Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone (APSEZ), is actively advancing this energy transition through ambitious green hydrogen initiatives. APSEZ has nearly met its 2025 carbon neutrality goal and is now targeting net-zero emissions by 2040, converting all ports to 100% renewable energy.
He noted that ESG performance is shaping the future competitiveness and investment appeal of ports, with ESG-aligned operations becoming central to both operational strategy and growth.
Ports like Gopalpur becoming hubs for green hydrogen exports through public-private partnerships, with offtake agreements from countries like Japan and Korea. India’s role in the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) will further enhance its position in global supply chains, and ports on the western coast, such as Mundra, JNPT, and Deendayal, are key enablers of the country’s manufacturing and export ambitions.
Shri K.M. Rao, highlighted that India cannot independently impose maritime regulations due to binding international conventions. However, Indian ships over 5,000 gross tonnages (GT) already comply with global standards. He shared that a comprehensive roadmap for the Indian shipping industry’s transition to net-zero is currently under discussion and will soon be finalised. To ensure its effective implementation, a dedicated division under the Director General of Maritime Administration (DG-MA) is being set up to oversee and drive the sector’s green transition.
Shri Sanjay Verma, highlighted that the Jal Vahak scheme and carbon credits for modal shift are central to India’s green logistics strategy, incentivising cargo movement from road to waterways. IWAI is working with the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) to integrate this shift into the Indian Carbon Market, allowing operators to earn credits. New terminals are being developed as green terminals, with a goal of 100% renewable energy by 2026, MARPOL-compliant waste facilities, and Onshore Power Supply (OPS) at 17 locations. The Inland Vessels Act, 2021 replaces the 1917 Act, introducing “one nation, one registration” to improve vessel mobility. Additionally special rules for alternative fuels and autonomous vessels are under review.
Fleet modernisation includes electric catamarans and hydrogen fuel cell vessels under a 10-year plan to operate in Varanasi. These efforts, supported by a forthcoming green shipping policy roadmap, align with national climate goals and programs like Harit Nauka and PM Gati Shakti, aiming to build sustainable, multimodal freight corridors. He also highlighted that a policy roadmap for greener shipping by the Directorate General of Shipping is awaiting final approval and will support shipowners in adopting green fuels and technologies in line with IMO and national climate goals.
Shri K.K. Hota, highlighted that NTPC is transforming itself from a power generator to a green fuel supplier, actively producing green hydrogen and ammonia and supporting their application across mobility, industry, and exports. With a ‘hydrogen-first’ approach, NTPC is building one of India’s largest green hydrogen/ammonia hubs at Pudimadaka near Vishakhapatnam, spanning 1,600 acres and powered by 20 GW of solar energy to enable 7 GW of RTC power. This facility will produce 2.5 million metric tonnes of green molecules and is designed with export-ready infrastructure, including a green jetty and SEZ-like ecosystem. NTPC has also deployed hydrogen-powered buses in Leh–Ladakh, signed MoUs with major ports (VOC Port and Kandla) for green mobility, and is piloting 8% green hydrogen blending in the gas grid in partnership with Gujarat Gas Ltd.
NTPC is playing a catalytic role in India’s green transition, and projects like Pudimadaka position the company to contribute significantly to both domestic decarbonisation and global green fuel exports. Through these efforts, NTPC is emerging as a national enabler of green fuel adoption and ecosystem development.
Shri K. Arunachalam, highlighted the sembcorp’s plan to establish a 200 KTPA (kilo tonnes per annum) green ammonia plant in Tuticorin as part of Phase I, strategically located due to its proximity to both eastern and western trade routes, strong port connectivity, and export viability. The facility is designed to support green ammonia exports to Far East Asia and Western nations, with active collaboration between shipping companies and Sembcorp’s Singapore headquarters to transport the fuel via waterways. The green ammonia will target key sectors such as power generation and mobility in East Asian countries. Sembcorp aims to build a fully green supply chain by utilising green ammonia for ship propulsion and exploring the use of ammonia-powered vessels, aligning with its goal of achieving zero-emission transport in both production and logistics.
Notably, the green ammonia shipped from Tuticorin will also be used to power gas turbines in Singapore, forming a closed-loop ecosystem that reduces fossil fuel dependence and reflects the company’s commitment to a fully decarbonised energy value chain, from production to end-use.The project exemplifies cross-border green energy cooperation and highlights Tuticorin’s growing role as a hub for green fuel exports.
The session concluded with remarks from Shri Senthil Subramanian who highlighted that India has 32 container terminals, 20 under major ports and 12 under minor ports, with minor ports leading in green and renewable energy adoption. He emphasised a major electrification gap at major ports, where many Rubber Tyred Gantry Cranes (RTGs) still run on diesel, hindering progress towards MIV, 2030.
Shore power adoption remains minimal, and only 15–20 Indian-flagged vessels are equipped or retrofitted with green technologies. Despite some crane electrification most port equipment and logistics remain diesel dependent. At VOC Port, one terminal has limited electrification, while the newer one is 90% electrified, the last 10% being the toughest to address. He outlined three critical pillars for green transformation:
(a) Port-Level Ecosystem such as appointing green energy suppliers, assessing land availability and amending PPP agreements to include green mandates.
(b) Seaside Coordination for instance older vessels lack shore power and operate on low margins, requiring strategic engagement.
(c) Landside Logistics is an important aspect as nearly 700–800 diesel trucks enter VOC daily; therefore, a fleet decarbonisation roadmap is vital. Further, he called for a phased national strategy with stakeholder alignment, financial models and regulatory clarity.
