Overview

On 30 October 2026, Maharashtra’s Minister of Fisheries and Ports Development, Nitesh Narayan Rane, announced that he will address the inaugural session of FICCI’s fourth Maritime India Conference & Expo. The three‑day event will be held at the Bombay Exhibition Centre in Mumbai from 2 to 4 November 2026.

Event Theme and Organisation

The conference is organised by FICCI with support from the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways under the theme “India as a Global Maritime Hub: Trade, Transformation & Sustainable Growth.”

Attendance and Exhibition Details

  • Registrations have already exceeded 10,000 business visitors, and FICCI is targeting 16,000 participants, more than double the 7,200 recorded at the previous edition.
  • Exhibition space has been increased to 10,000 sq m, roughly 40 % larger than in 2025.
  • Over 150 companies will exhibit, of which 92 % are from the private sector.

Partner States, Ports and International Participation

  • Partner states: Karnataka, Odisha, Goa and Maharashtra.
  • Partner ports: Mumbai Port Authority, Paradip Port Authority, V.O. Chidambaram Port Authority and Deendayal Port Authority.
  • Institutional partner: Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI).
  • Partner country: The Netherlands, which will host a dedicated pavilion.
  • International delegations: Italy (led by Marco Consalvo, President of the Port of Trieste and Monfalcone), Norway and Singapore, plus companies and institutions from the UAE, Sweden, Denmark, Germany, France, Japan and Switzerland.

Key Speakers and Officials

The inaugural session will feature:

  • Vijay Sankar, President‑elect of FICCI and Chairman of the Sanmar Group;
  • Dhruv Kotak, Chair of the FICCI Committee on Ports & Shipping and Managing Director of JM Baxi;
  • Nabil Taouati, Consul General of the Netherlands in Mumbai;
  • Binesh Kumar Tyagi, Chairman and Managing Director of the Shipping Corporation of India;
  • Sushil Kumar Singh, Chairperson of the Indian Ports Association;
  • Shyam Jagannathan, Director General of Shipping;
  • Sushil Kumar Lohani, Chairman of IWAI.

Knowledge Reports and Plenary Sessions

Four FICCI knowledge reports will be released during the session:

1. FICCI‑PwC – Smart & Future‑Ready Ports;

2. FICCI‑A.T. Kearney – Trade, Logistics and Global Connectivity: Hinterland Connectivity, Modal Shift and Cargo Evacuation;

3. FICCI‑EY – Optimising India’s Shipbuilding and Ship Repair Capacity: Roadmap for Industrial Scale‑Up;

4. FICCI‑CRISIL – Domestic Container Manufacturing in India.

Seven plenary sessions will cover smart ports, trade and connectivity, logistics, shipbuilding, green shipping, inland waterways and cruise tourism, and maritime investment and security.

Participants and Industry Representation

The conference will host global carriers and operators such as MSC, CMA CGM, Maersk, Hapag‑Lloyd, DP World and PSA; leading private port groups; shipbuilders Cochin Shipyard, Mazagon Dock, GRSE and Titagarh; energy majors BPCL, ONGC and Indian Oil; and financial institutions Exim Bank, NIIF and IFSCA.

Business‑to‑Business Engagements

  • Invite‑only roundtables for CEOs and diplomats on the opening day.
  • More than 2,000 B2B and B2G meetings to match port operators, shipping lines and technology providers with potential partners.
  • State‑specific sessions on dredging, multimodal connectivity and shipbuilding policy.

Alignment with Policy Vision

The programme aligns with Maritime India Vision 2030, which outlines over 300 initiatives for the sector. Recommendations from the sessions and the four reports will be submitted to the Government, providing direct industry input into policy on ports, shipbuilding, logistics and sustainable shipping.