The Deendayal Port Authority (DPA), Kandla, hosted a Maritime Festival-cum-Roadshow in Gandhidham, Gujarat, as a curtain-raiser to the upcoming India Maritime Week 2025. The event, themed “International Cooperation – Smart Ports: Gateways to Prosperity,” spotlighted India’s emergence as a global maritime leader and underscored the importance of technology-driven, sustainable, and collaborative growth across the ports and logistics ecosystem.
The programme opened with a welcome address by Sushil Kumar Singh, IRSME, Chairman, DPA, who highlighted India’s remarkable maritime advancements under the leadership of the Prime Minister. He encouraged active participation in India Maritime Week 2025, emphasizing the event’s role in strengthening partnerships and innovation across the maritime value chain.
Delivering the keynote address via video conference, Rajkumar Beniwal, IAS, Vice Chairman & CEO, Gujarat Maritime Board, stressed the need for innovation, efficiency, and close coordination between government agencies and industry players. He noted that such synergy is vital to modernizing Indian ports and enhancing the nation’s competitiveness in global trade.
A key highlight of the event was a panel discussion on the theme “Smart Ports: Gateways to Prosperity,” moderated by Nilabhra Dasgupta, IRS, Deputy Chairman, DPA. The session brought together prominent industry leaders, technologists, and maritime experts, who shared insights on the transformation of ports through digitalization, automation, sustainability, and global best practices.
Panelists emphasized technology integration, public–private partnerships, and international collaboration as crucial drivers of India’s maritime modernization and global leadership. The discussion concluded with closing remarks from Nilabhra Dasgupta, IRS, and a vote of thanks delivered by V. Raveendra Reddy, Chief Engineer, DPA.
The roadshow served as a vibrant platform for dialogue, knowledge sharing, and partnership building, reaffirming Deendayal Port Authority’s commitment to advancing India’s maritime aspirations under the Maritime India Vision 2030 and the Maritime Amritkaal Vision 2047.
