About us

The maritime industry plays a crucial role in driving a nation's overall economic growth. Since 2014, the Government has been actively promoting the country's maritime sector through various programs like - Gati Shakti and SagarMala which are aimed at attracting investments. These initiatives have primarily focused on enhancing infrastructure, improving efficiency, expanding services, and increasing capacity. The goal has been to facilitate the smooth handling of the consistently growing trade volume and address other emerging requirements of the maritime sector, as India becomes one of the top three economies of the world.

The blueprint for these initiatives comes from the Maritime India Vision 2030 (MIV - 2030), launched in March 2021 and the Maritime Amrit Kaal Vision 2047 (MAKV - 2047), launched in October 2023 by the Hon'ble Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi. As a key step towards realizing the vision, a Memorandum of Agreement was signed between the Indian Ports Association (IPA) and the Research and Information System for Developing Countries (RIS) in the presence of the Hon'ble Minister of Ports Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW), Shri Sarbananda Sonowal. The agreement marked the launch of the Centre for Maritime Economy and Connectivity (CMEC) at RIS - a think tank to give shape to India's maritime ambitions and various associated dimensions.

This initiative aims to capture actionable ideas that can be implemented within a specified timeframe. The primary objectives of CMEC are to develop a comprehensive and integrated framework for the systematic growth and diversification of India's maritime sector. It also aims to contribute to the establishment of regulatory frameworks that encourage investments in the sector, including the development of a common framework for cooperation and collaboration among nations in the Indian Ocean region. By fostering deep collaboration with all research and policy institutions in the sector, CMEC seeks to bolster the maritime economy and promote connectivity in the maritime domain.