Grand Finale function of Diamond Jubilee of National Maritime Day was organised at Domestic Cruise Terminus, Mumbai today, with ‘Amrit Kaal in shipping’ as its theme

The Grand Finale function of Diamond Jubilee of National Maritime Day was organised at Domestic Cruise Terminus, Mumbai today, with ‘Amrit Kaal in shipping’ as its theme.
The day is celebrated to commemorate embarkation of the first Indian-owned vessel “S S Loyalty” on her maiden voyage from Mumbai to London, on this day in 1919. Eminent maritime personalities from India and abroad and seafarers and their families participated in the colourful event held in Mumbai today.
The Chief Guest for the function was function was Minister for Infrastructure and Water Management, Kingdom of the Netherlands Mark Harbers, and the event was presided over by Union Minister of State for Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Shantanu Thakur.
The Union Minister of State for Ports, Shipping and Waterways congratulated all stakeholders of maritime fraternity on the occasion. He mentioned that the vision of the Government for Amrit Kaal is creation of opportunities for citizens with focus on youth, growth and job creation, and a strong and stable macroeconomic environment.
The Minister said that the government aims to make shipping a fast-growing sector so that India can become a world leader in maritime infrastructure and a lead player in the maritime economy.
The Minister for Infrastructure and Water Management, Netherlands, extended his greetings and best wishes to the seafarers and Indian maritime fraternity. He said that India is a key maritime player, like the Netherlands. He recalled the age-old maritime relationship between the two countries and said that his country is happy to share its maritime expertise with its friends such as India.
The Dutch Minister said that the Indian government has acknowledged the importance of the maritime sector for economic development and set out its Maritime India Vision 2030 to accelerate growth over the next decade across ports, shipping and waterways, in terms of not only capacity and economic growth but also sustainability.
He informed that over the last few days, India and Netherlands discussed collaboration along various fronts, including in zero-emission shipping, and inland waterways technology for improving sustainable water-borne transport. He further informed that recently, the Union Shipping Minister of India and he signed an MoU on cooperation in the maritime sector.
He said, this will serve as a blueprint for our vision for deepening our existing strong ties in the sector. He concluded by saying that the Netherlands is proud to be here as India’s partner on this day. Let us chart a sustainable maritime future, added the Dutch Minister .