India’s Blue Economy Moment: A Declaration of Technological Leadership
India’s Blue Economy moment is just around the corner, with the country set to take its top 120 deep-tech ventures to Nice, France, for Bharat Innovates 2026, an initiative of the Ministry of Education of India. This initiative, announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the presence of President Macron, is more than a showcase. It is a declaration. India is no longer just a technology market. It is a technology builder.
Government Leadership: From Vision to Policy
The Sagarmala Programme is modernising 13 major ports and over 200 minor ports, with 839 identified projects worth about ₹5.8 lakh crore, linking ports to the hinterland and enabling port-led industrialisation.
The Deep Ocean Mission is funding scientists to explore the deep sea using the indigenous Matsya submersible, unlocking strategic resources and cutting-edge ocean science.
The Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana, with over ₹20,050 crore in approved projects, is transforming fisheries and coastal livelihoods. The PM Gati Shakti framework ties ports, railways, roads, and logistics into a single digital map.
And the Harit Sagar Guidelines are steering India’s ports toward sustainability. The Union Budget 2026–27 proposed the highest-ever annual budgetary support of ₹2,761.80 crore for the fisheries sector.
Offshore Wind Targets
Offshore wind targets of 30 GW by 2030 are being pursued along the Gujarat and Tamil Nadu coasts. India is now openly talking about a $100 billion blue economy.
IIT Madras: Research at the Frontier
IIT Madras has been building toward this moment for nearly five decades. Our Department of Ocean Engineering, celebrating its Golden Jubilee this year, is home to Asia’s largest shallow-wave basin research facility and seven hydrodynamic test facilities under one roof.
Researchers here work on ship hydrodynamics, offshore structures, marine renewable energy, coastal engineering, underwater acoustics, autonomous marine vehicles and more. This is the infrastructure India needs to compete in the global ocean economy.
The National Technology Centre for Ports, Waterways and Coasts (NTCPWC)
The NTCPWC, hosted at IIT Madras and funded by the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, exemplifies research with direct national impact. NTCPWC has completed over 100 projects worth ₹200 crore for major ports and public sector undertakings.
In November 2025, it deployed India’s first fully indigenous Vessel Traffic Management System at the Vizhinjam International Seaport, inaugurated by the Prime Minister. The estimated savings in foreign exchange through indigenous technology over the past five years alone stand at approximately ₹1,500 crore.
Start-ups: Where Research Becomes Reality
Research that stays in the laboratory does not build an economy. At IIT Madras, we have built a culture where research knowledge walks out as companies. Our Incubation Cell has nurtured 567 startups, incubating 112 new ventures in FY 2025-26 alone across AI, robotics, climate, and ocean technologies.
- Planys Technologies, founded in 2015 by IIT Madras alumni and faculty, builds Remotely Operated Vehicles and autonomous underwater systems that inspect submerged infrastructure such as bridges, dams, ports, and offshore rigs, using AI diagnostics.
- Zerocircle, a Pune-based startup using seaweed to create biodegradable packaging, linking marine biomass with solutions to plastic pollution.
Building the Partnership with France
France is a natural partner for India in the Blue Economy. France has one of the world’s largest Exclusive Economic Zones, deep expertise in offshore energy and ocean science, and institutions, from IFREMER to INRIA, that complement India’s strengths.
Joint research in marine renewable energy, offshore technology, and coastal resilience is an obvious starting point. Co-development of deep-sea technologies, where both nations have ambition, but the problems are shared, is another.
Key Takeaways
- India’s Blue Economy moment is just around the corner, with the country set to take its top 120 deep-tech ventures to Nice, France, for Bharat Innovates 2026.
- The Sagarmala Programme is modernising 13 major ports and over 200 minor ports, with 839 identified projects worth about ₹5.8 lakh crore.
- IIT Madras has been building toward this moment for nearly five decades, with a Department of Ocean Engineering that is home to Asia’s largest shallow-wave basin research facility and seven hydrodynamic test facilities under one roof.
FAQs
What is the Blue Economy?
The Blue Economy is an economic model that aims to promote sustainable use of the ocean’s resources while protecting the marine environment.
What is the significance of the Blue Economy for India?
India has an 11,099-kilometre coastline, 1,298 islands, and an Exclusive Economic Zone of 2.3 million square kilometres. Nearly 95 per cent by volume of the country’s trade moves by sea. Millions of coastal families depend on the ocean for their livelihoods.
What is the role of IIT Madras in the Blue Economy?
IIT Madras has been building toward this moment for nearly five decades, with a Department of Ocean Engineering that is home to Asia’s largest shallow-wave basin research facility and seven hydrodynamic test facilities under one roof.
Conclusion
India’s Blue Economy moment is just around the corner, with the country set to take its top 120 deep-tech ventures to Nice, France, for Bharat Innovates 2026. This initiative is a declaration. India is no longer just a technology market. It is a technology builder.
We look forward to building, with France and the world, a blue economy worthy of our nations’ ambitions.
