Prospects of India’s Engagement in the Indian Ocean Region in the Blue Economy Sector

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On February, 10 2025 the Vivekananda International Foundation organised a talk by Professor V N Attri. The talk began with Dr. Arvind Gupta, Director VIF, delivering the opening remarks. Distinguished members of various institutions and think tanks participated in the meeting along with senior policy experts, and academicians who shared their invaluable knowledge.

The discussion on India’s engagement in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) highlighted several key points. Though there is no universally accepted definition of Blue Economy, the participants deliberated on the broad areas that the term encompasses namely the ocean economy, sustainability and environmental protection. The seven enablers of Blue Economy namely maritime spatial planning, maritime security, maritime data, common skills, shared infrastructure, sustainable use of sea and environmental protection were also highlighted.

Prospects of India’s engagement in the Blue Economy Sector: Key Points

• It was suggested that India must lead the IOR in the blue economy sector. In this light, India should host a major conference during the time it holds the IORA chairmanship.
• India should give primacy to ocean governance, since it is one of the most crucial factors for the proper use of marine resources and also for preserving the optimal state of the ocean. Hence, more collaboration and research are required in this area.
• The discussion emphasized the need for integrating climate change in the discourse on blue economy. In this context, the participants spoke about the development of blue smart cities in coastal regions with a strong emphasis on development of technologies for the sustainable development of oceanic resources.
• One of the key points raised was the requirement for designating an existing ministry/body for coordinating the implementation of blue economy initiatives in India.
• Emphasis was placed on the need to empower local coastal communities; a group that is intrinsically linked to the blue economy via aqua culture and production of blue products like fisheries. This initiative becomes important for ensuring ocean health as well as for strengthening bilateral relations with neighbouring Indian Ocean countries.
• A need for a robust business model for development of the blue economy was stressed upon with a special focus on private sector investments.

The meeting underscored the importance of conducting discussions on this crucial issue and stressed on the essentiality of the role played by organisations such as VIF in drafting a plan which underlines key prospects of India’s engagement in the Indian Ocean Region in the blue economy sector.