As a curtain-raiser to India Maritime Week-2025, V.O. Chidambaranar Port (VOC Port) Authority is hosting a one-day conference on “Green Ports & Shipping - Charting Sustainable Maritime Future” on 1st August 2025 at Tuticorin.  

Organised under the aegis of NAVIC Cell–3 (Green Initiatives & Pollution Control), the event will bring together policymakers, industry leaders, researchers, and maritime stakeholders to deliberate on sustainable, low-carbon, and environmentally responsible practices across entire maritime ecosystem, including ports, shipping, and related logistics.

T. K. Ramachandran, Secretary, Ministry of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways (MoPSW) will deliver a special address virtually. The conference will see the presence of Dr. Vibha Dhawan, Director General, TERI (The Energy and Resources Institute); Abhay Bhakre, Mission Director, National Green Hydrogen Mission; and Vijay Kumar, Chairman, Inland Waterways Authority of India and Nodal Officer, NAVIC Cell-3 (Green Initiates and Pollution Control) constituted by Ministry of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways.

The conference includes keynote sessions and technical discussions on critical topics including Decarbonisation in the Maritime Sector, Green Financing and Policy Frameworks and Panel Discussion on ‘Transforming India’s maritime sector for the next decade’.  

Subject experts and senior officials from Inland Waterways Authority of India, TERI, National Thermal Power Corporation, Indian Port Rail & Ropeway Corporation Limited, PwC India, Central Institute of Petrochemicals Engineering & Technology, NITI Aayog, Directorate General Shipping, RINA Consulting, Indian Maritime University, and others are participating in the sessions, contributing valuable insights about the themes and challenges under each topic.

Under the esteemed leadership of Sarbananda Sonowal, Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways, and Shantanu Thakur, Minister of State for Ports, Shipping and Waterways, a comprehensive action plan have been charted to implement green initiatives outlined in the Maritime India Vision 2030 and the Harit Sagar Guidelines, aligning with the Prime Minister’s Panchamrit goals to achieve net zero emissions by 2070.

Commenting on the conference, Susanta Kumar Purohit, Chairperson, V.O.Chidambaranar Port Authority said, "The conference would serve as a vital platform for sharing industry’s best practices, forging collaborations, and driving collective action across maritime sector towards a cleaner and greener future."   

He also emphasized that the insights gained from the event will help align V.O.C. Port more closely with the Maritime India Vision 2030 and Harit Sagar Green Port Guidelines, by embedding sustainability into all areas of port’s operations.