Kandla (Gujarat) [India], October 13 : Deendayal Port Authority, Kandla, organised a Maritime Festival-cum-Roadshow at Gandhidham, Gujarat, as a precursor to the upcoming India Maritime Week 2025.
The event was held on the theme "International Cooperation - Smart Ports: Gateways to Prosperity," focusing on India's growing leadership in the global maritime domain and emphasising the need for smart, sustainable and technology-driven transformation across ports and logistics sectors.
The programme commenced with a welcome address by Sushil Kumar Singh, IRSME, Chairman, DPA, who highlighted India's maritime progress under the visionary leadership of the Prime Minister and urged stakeholders to actively participate in the forthcoming India Maritime Week 2025, to strengthen cooperation and collaboration across the maritime value chain.
The Keynote Address was delivered by Rajkumar Beniwal, IAS, Vice Chairman & CEO, Gujarat Maritime Board (through VC), who underlined the importance of innovation, efficiency and synergy between government and industry stakeholders to modernise India's ports and boost competitiveness in global trade.
The highlight of the programme was the Panel Discussion on the theme "Smart Ports: Gateways to Prosperity", moderated by Nilabhra Dasgupta, IRS, Deputy Chairman, DPA. The session witnessed participation from eminent industry leaders and maritime experts who shared valuable insights on the technological, operational and sustainable evolution of smart ports.
The discussion fostered meaningful deliberations on technology integration, public-private partnerships and international cooperation as key enablers in steering India's maritime sector towards global excellence.
The session concluded with Concluding Remarks by Nilabhra Dasgupta, IRS, Deputy Chairman, and a vote of thanks by V. Raveendra Reddy, Chief Engineer, DPA.
The Roadshow served as a dynamic platform for knowledge exchange and collaboration, reaffirming Deendayal Port Authority's unwavering commitment to driving India's maritime growth in line with the Maritime India Vision 2030 and Maritime Amritkaal Vision 2047.