{"id":5469,"date":"2026-05-08T16:37:11","date_gmt":"2026-05-08T11:07:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/staging.dzinepixel.com\/Paradipport_wp\/?post_type=all_news&p=5469"},"modified":"2026-05-14T16:59:12","modified_gmt":"2026-05-14T11:29:12","slug":"womens-participation-in-indias-maritime-sector-surges-340-since-2020-sarbananda-sonowal","status":"publish","type":"all_news","link":"https:\/\/staging.dzinepixel.com\/Paradipport_wp\/all_news\/womens-participation-in-indias-maritime-sector-surges-340-since-2020-sarbananda-sonowal\/","title":{"rendered":"Women\u2019s Participation in India\u2019s Maritime Sector Surges 340% Since 2020: Sarbananda Sonowal."},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cIndia remains committed to work with all partners to advance a safe, secure and stable Indian Ocean Region\u201d: Sarbananda Sonowal<\/em>
\nNew Delhi, May 7, 2026 \u2014 Women\u2019s participation in India\u2019s maritime sector has increased by 340% since 2020, Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW), Sarbananda Sonowal said here today, underscoring the government\u2019s push to build a more inclusive, future-ready maritime workforce.<\/p>\n

Delivering the keynote address at the 10th Indian Ocean Dialogue in New Delhi, Sonowal highlighted \u201cNari Shakti\u201d as a central pillar of India\u2019s maritime growth story. Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal was joined by His Excellency, Dhananjay Ramful, Foreign Minister of Mauritius, and His Excellency, Waleed Mohammed Al-Qadimi, Minister of State of Yemen.<\/p>\n

\u201cThrough initiatives like \u2018Sagar Mein Samman\u2019, we are advancing dignity, inclusion and leadership opportunities for women in the maritime sector, which has seen a remarkable rise of about 340% since 2020,\u201d Sarbananda Sonowal said. \u201cUnder the dynamic leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi ji, this transformation in the maritime sector is helping shape a more inclusive, resilient and future-ready workforce for the Indian Ocean Region.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Union Minister positioned the surge in women\u2019s participation within India\u2019s broader maritime vision, combining economic growth with social empowerment. He noted that the \u201chuman element\u201d remains central to India\u2019s maritime strategy, alongside efforts to enhance security, connectivity and sustainability.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Indian Ocean is not just a geographic space, but a global lifeline,\u201d Sonowal said. \u201cIts importance to global energy flows, trade and supply chains calls for stronger cooperation, resilience and inclusivity.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sonowal emphasized that India\u2019s maritime initiatives are aligned with the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, including frameworks such as SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region) and MAHASAGAR, aimed at strengthening regional cooperation and ensuring equitable growth.<\/p>\n

The 10th Indian Ocean Dialogue, hosted by India as Chair of the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) for 2025\u201327, is themed \u201cIndian Ocean Region in a Transforming World.\u201d The forum brings together ministers, policymakers, academics and industry leaders to deliberate on maritime security, blue economy, disaster risk management and women\u2019s empowerment.<\/p>\n

Under India\u2019s Chair of IORA, the forum focuses on \u201cInnovation, Openness, Resilience and Adaptability,\u201d with women\u2019s economic empowerment identified as a key cross-cutting priority area.<\/p>\n

Sonowal also highlighted India\u2019s role as a \u201cnet security provider\u201d in the region, pointing to initiatives in humanitarian assistance, maritime surveillance and disaster response. Sonowal stressed that no single country can address maritime challenges alone and called for collective action rooted in transparency and respect for international law.<\/p>\n

\u201cIndia remains committed to working with all partners to advance a safe, secure and stable Indian Ocean Region,\u201d Sonowal said.<\/p>\n

The Indian Ocean Dialogue (IOD), IORA\u2019s flagship Track 1.5 platform launched in 2014 in Kochi, convenes ministers, policymakers, academics and industry leaders to deliberate on key regional issues. IORA comprises 23 member states and 12 dialogue partners, focusing on economic cooperation and sustainable development in the Indian Ocean Region, with women\u2019s economic empowerment identified as a key cross-cutting priority alongside the blue economy. The 10th edition of the Dialogue, being held on May 7\u20138, 2026 in New Delhi, features dedicated sessions on maritime security, blue economy, disaster risk management, climate change and women\u2019s empowerment.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":4400,"template":"","class_list":["post-5469","all_news","type-all_news","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/staging.dzinepixel.com\/Paradipport_wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/all_news\/5469","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/staging.dzinepixel.com\/Paradipport_wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/all_news"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/staging.dzinepixel.com\/Paradipport_wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/all_news"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staging.dzinepixel.com\/Paradipport_wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4400"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/staging.dzinepixel.com\/Paradipport_wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5469"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}