On the sidelines of SMM Hamburg 2026, a high-level Indian delegation led by Vijay Kumar, IAS, Secretary, Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW), held a series of strategic engagements with leading maritime stakeholders in Hamburg, Germany, aimed at strengthening cooperation and knowledge exchange between India and Germany in the maritime sector.
The Indian delegation also included Vipul Singhal, Director, MoPSW, and Pradeep Sudhakar, Chief Ship Surveyor, Directorate General of Shipping/Maritime Administration (DGMA).
As part of the engagements, the delegation visited the HHLA Container Terminal Altenwerder (CTA), one of the world’s most advanced and automated container terminals, and interacted with Patrick Krawutschke, Managing Director, Hamburg Port Consulting (HPC). The discussions focused on modern port operations, terminal efficiency, automation, logistics planning and the adoption of advanced technologies in port management.
The delegation also visited the EUROGATE Container Terminal Hamburg and held discussions with Tom Eckelmann, President, EUROGATE. The interaction provided an opportunity to exchange perspectives on container terminal operations, productivity enhancement, digitalisation and the evolving role of modern maritime logistics infrastructure.
Further strengthening the engagements, the Indian delegation held discussions with key representatives of the Hamburg maritime ecosystem, including Tino Klemm, Chief Financial Officer, Hamburg Port Authority (HPA); Lennart Kinnau, Head of Strategy, External Affairs & Communication, HPA; Linda Hastedt, Environmental Strategist, HPA; Dr. Niels Wiecker, Director, Ports & Logistics, Ministry of Economic Affairs, Labour & Innovation, Hamburg; and Simone Maraschi, Managing Director, Cruise Gate Hamburg.
The discussions covered a wide range of areas, including port modernisation, sustainable and green port initiatives, logistics management, maritime infrastructure development, environmental sustainability, cruise infrastructure and future-ready port ecosystems.
The series of interactions highlighted the shared commitment of India and Germany to promoting innovation, sustainability and efficiency across the maritime sector, offering valuable opportunities for knowledge sharing and exploring potential areas of collaboration in advanced port technologies, green maritime practices and integrated logistics solutions.
The visit comes at a time when India is undertaking transformative reforms and major infrastructure development across its maritime sector, with a strong focus on port-led development, digitalisation, sustainability and enhancing global competitiveness. The engagements in Hamburg are expected to further advance India-Hamburg cooperation in port operations, sustainability initiatives, logistics management and maritime infrastructure, while strengthening the broader India-Germany maritime partnership through enhanced institutional cooperation, knowledge exchange and collaboration.
