India, EU Launch Coalition for Green Shipping Corridor

India and the European Union (EU) have launched an industry coalition to develop a green shipping corridor between the two markets, focusing on cleaner maritime trade routes and the adoption of low-emission fuels.

The initiative was announced during the third edition of Sagar Manthan. Shipping Secretary Vijay Kumar said that the coalition would bring companies together to support green shipping infrastructure and accelerate the maritime sector’s transition.

“Let Sagar Manthan 2026 be a platform where ideas become partnerships and partnerships become action,” Kumar said, referring to the launch of the India-EU Green Shipping Corridor industry coalition.

The coalition is expected to provide a platform for companies and other stakeholders to collaborate on cleaner maritime trade routes between India and the EU. The initiative comes as the shipping industry faces growing pressure to reduce emissions while addressing geopolitical disruptions, supply-chain vulnerabilities and technological changes.

Kumar said that stronger international cooperation would be needed to improve supply-chain resilience, mobilise private investment in maritime infrastructure and enable emerging economies to participate in the global transition towards cleaner fuels.

India is also targeting a higher share of renewable energy in the overall energy consumption of its major ports. The government aims to increase the renewable energy share to more than 60 percent by 2030 and over 90 percent by 2047.

The transition is also extending to port operations, with diesel-powered harbour tugs being progressively replaced by green-powered vessels.

Deendayal Port at Kandla, Paradip Port and V.O. Chidambaranar Port at Tuticorin have been identified as green hydrogen hubs for producing, storing and bunkering cleaner fuels, Kumar said.

The three ports are expected to support the production, storage and bunkering of green hydrogen and other cleaner fuels as part of India’s broader maritime decarbonisation strategy.

Alongside the energy transition, India is targeting a significant expansion in port capacity. The government aims to increase overall port capacity to 10 billion tonnes annually by 2047.

Major ports handled more than 915 million tonnes of cargo during 2025-26, compared with 581 million tonnes in 2014-15. Cargo transported through national waterways also rose to 218 million tonnes from 18 million tonnes in 2013-14.

The launch of the India-EU green shipping corridor coalition comes as India seeks to combine port infrastructure expansion with renewable energy, cleaner fuels and lower-emission maritime operations.