Blue Economy

Blue Economy : Recently, at the Third United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC3), India made a strong pitch for a Global Ocean Pact, reaffirming its growing leadership in marine conservation and the development of a sustainable blue economy.

• India’s Blue Economy Growth :

o Port-Led Development: India is driving maritime infrastructure through over 600 port-led projects under the Sagarmala Programme, valued at $80 billion.

o Fisheries Sector Boost: A $2.5 billion investment under the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana has led to a 10% rise in fish production and the creation of 1,000+ Fish Farmer Producer Organizations since 2022.

o Deep Sea Exploration: The ‘Samudrayaan’ project under the Deep Ocean Mission will deploy India’s first manned submersible by 2026 to explore ocean depths of up to 6,000 meters.

o Marine Biodiversity Protection: India has expanded Marine Protected Areas to 6.6% of its Exclusive Economic Zone and restored over 10,000 hectares of mangroves using nature-based solutions.

o SAHAV Digital Ocean Portal: Enables transparent, inclusive access to ocean data for informed marine planning and conservation.

o Commitment to SDG-14: India reiterated its resolve to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 14 (Life Below Water) through cooperation with governments, civil society, and private stakeholders.