India is on the cusp of a maritime transformation. Geographically, India is ideally placed between Western Europe and Asia. Needless to say, every ship bound for Europe has to pass through India, and herein lies the opportunity. Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has given his nod for a thorough overhauling of the nation’s maritime landscape by way of an integrated waterway policy, which lays emphasis on not just port infrastructure, but inclusive of riverfront development, and increasing phenomenally the number of cruise ships in Indian waters from a miniscule 150 vessels to a staggering 1000.

Below are the excerpts of a free flowing conversation with Shri Mihir Bhattacharjee, an ex-armed forces officer who opens his heart out on the awesome growth of India’s maritime sector and offers significant insights on the future of India’s maritime prowess. image host (Shri Mihir Bhattacharjee)

Once upon a time, India used to be a naval superpower. Can you shed some light on that, as not many are aware of India’s maritime supremacy?

Indian Defence Review is of the opinion that from 3000 BC to 2000 BC, India was a naval superpower with a flourishing shipbuilding industry. The “Dark Age” of India’s shipbuilding began from 2000 BC to 600 BC. From 600 BC to the last leg of the 19th century, India’s maritime position was every bit glorious. India confronted the “Dark Age” again at the end of the 19th century to the 20th century.

What would be the reaction of the Western world if they were told that iconic explorers like Alexander the Great and Vasco Da Gama themselves had recognised long ago ancient India’s maritime competency? Not just that, Alexander had commissioned an entire flotilla to be built in India!

F. Baltazar Salvyus, a Frenchman dating back to 1811 CE was of the opinion that in ancient times, Indian made vessels were in great demand and that they could offer solutions to Europe. If historical evidence is anything to go by, the British seafarers too benefitted hugely from India’s vast storehouse of maritime knowledge, some of which they integrated successfully into their own shipping ethos.

What was the rationale behind developing the one-of-a-kind National Maritime Heritage Complex that is coming up in Lothal ?

It may be recalled that in the days of yore, Lothal used to be a buzzing trade and commercial centre. According to the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), Lothal has been credited by historians to be the world’s earliest known dock, that connected the city the ancient trade route between Harappan cities in Sindh and Saurashtra peninsula. Lothal has already been nominated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and it’s on the tentative list.

Lothal has deep connections with the Indus Valley Civilisation that flourished around 2,500 BC. At its peak, the Indus Valley Civilisation was one of the greatest urban civilizations. The concept of planned towns and commercial urban commercial hubs had its origins in the Indus Valley Civilization. Extensive roads and a well-developed drainage system were the hallmarks of Indus Valley civilisation.

Lothal with its glorious maritime heritage, or if I may put it this way, “Unparalleled” , the proposed project once complete, will catapult Lothal as one of India’s gems in terms of tourism. Already, the government’s choice of Lothal as the site for a maritime heritage centre has earned global appreciation.

As a travel journalist, I believe this is the right time for foreign ship and yacht builders to make their presence felt in India’s maritime sector. What are your views on this important issue ?

If Indian maritime statistics are anything to go by, It is estimated that the cruise tourism market in India is likely to attract 1.2 million tourists by the year 2030.

It is time for the big players of the shipping world, like Lurssen, Azimut, Feretti, Hessen, Meyer Werft, Oceanco, etc., to explore India’s maritime landscape and offer not just cutting-edge shipbuilding technology , but also be partners in the development of ports and cruise tourism infrastructure.

The Government of India has already approved a dedicated policy on cruise tourism that is inclusive of infrastructure and facility development, improvement of procedures like immigration, customs, and CISF, use of technology and systems such as RFID, Advance Passenger Information Systems (APIS), and PCS, as well as fiscal incentives.

An exclusive task force has been formed under the co-chairmanship of the Secretary, Ministry of Shipping, to facilitate cruise tourism in India. This Task Force is working in full steam towards the overall improvement of Standard Operating Procedures (SoPs) for cruise terminal operations, and the port at Cochin has been identified as the pilot project. Soon enough, the ports at Goa, Mumbai, and Chennai will be brought under the ambit of the Task Force.

Once world-class maritime infrastructures are in place, can India aspire to be a hub for superyachts?

A lot of people have divergent views on superyachts, and that is mostly due to the staggering costs involved in building superyachts. However, with Prime Minister Modi at the helm and his signature “Atmannirbhar Bharat” agenda, which literally translates into “Self Reliant India” gaining momentum, the Ministry of Shipping too has in recent times reviewed the licensing conditions for chartering of shipping vessels through a tender process that would cater to all types of requirements.

India’s Minister of Shipping, Shri Sarbananda Sonowal, is all set to promote Indian origin shipping vessels that are built, flagged, and owned by Indians. In a recent press conference, India’s Shipping Minister bared his heart out to the media about his one-pointed agenda of transforming India’s maritime sector to become self-sufficient under the “Atmannirbhar Bharat” scheme.

The government of India’s drive to fast-track investments in the shipping sector has been welcomed by the industry bigwigs, and to further compliment this mission, a host of industry-friendly policies have been introduced: modernising port infrastructure, promotion of green energy, cutting edge IT backup, and upgrading the skill sets of the employees to sustain operations of this magnitude. Industry stalwarts consider the “Sagarmala Project” (literally meaning - string of ports), to be one of the best initiatives ever undertaken by the Government of India.

On successful completion, the Sagarmala Project would lead to direct employment of four million and six million indirect jobs. As of date, projects worth USD 15 billion are under various stages of implementation.

How long will it take for India’s Maritime industry, particularly high-end Yachts to truly evolve into a world class entity?

The turnaround in the Indian yachting landscape will be obvious in a couple of years from now as owning a yacht will be synonymous with belonging to the category of the “rich and famous”. Although a vast majority of the prospective yacht owners themselves know very little about components like yacht design, features and other onboard amenities, yet the mood is upbeat.

It is here that global yacht brands like Lurssen, Azimut, Feretti, Hessen, Meyer Werft, Oceanco, etc. could come in handy, not just to explore India’s maritime landscape and offer cutting-edge shipbuilding technology but also to be partners in the development of yacht and cruise tourism infrastructure.

Lurssen for instance, has been building ships at their base in Lemwerder since 1935, and the entire gamut of shipbuilding processes, from construction to assembly facilities, are available at Lemwerder. Today, Lürssen Lemwerder is globally renowned for yachts measuring 80 to 110 meters in length.

Just imagine a scenario with shipping giant Lurssen making its debut in India’s maritime landscape and with India’s Minister of Shipping, Shri Sarbananda Sonowal, all set to fast-track investments in the shipping sector - has there been a better time to invest in India’s Blue Economy?

As a super optimistic travel journalist, I dream of a day soon when Peter Lurssen, CEO of the world’s foremost superyacht builder Lürssen, and the person behind some of the most extraordinary superyachts like M/Y AZZAM (180 m), M/Y DILBAR (156 m), or the world-famous charter yacht M/Y ARKLEY (60 m), sign the MOU with India’s Minister of Port, Shipping, and Waterway Shri Sarbananda Sonowal on the backdrop of the iconic Kaziranga National Park.

Until then, William Faulkner’s quote will be my companion:

You cannot swim to new horizons until you have courage to lose sight of the shore.