A Letter of Intent (LOI) was signed on March 25, 2025, between Singapore and India with the goal of strengthening cooperation in maritime digitalisation and decarbonisation by creating a Green and Digital Shipping Corridor (GDSC).
Amy Khor, Singapore’s Senior Minister of State for Sustainability and the Environment, and Sarbananda Sonowal, India’s Union Minister of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways, were present at the signing event. Teo Eng Dih from the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore and R Lakshmanan from India’s Ministry of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways formally signed the LOI.
Promoting zero or almost zero greenhouse gas emission technology and implementing digital solutions in maritime operations are the main objectives of the GDSC initiative. It is anticipated that this collaboration will take use of Singapore’s status as a significant transshipment hub as well as India’s advantages in green marine fuel manufacturing and information technology. The cooperation would seek to formalise through a memorandum of understanding after identifying pertinent parties for these initiatives.
Sonowal also spoke with Brigit Gijsbers, the vice minister of the Netherlands’ Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management, while he was in Singapore. They looked into strengthening current collaboration on maritime matters, such as the possible creation of a Green Shipping Corridor connecting Rotterdam with Indian ports such as VoC Port (Tuticorin) and Deendayal Port (Kandla).
In order to modernise maritime operations in both nations, promote innovation, and hasten the adoption of low-emission technologies, Sonowal emphasised that this LOI is an important step. He emphasised how Prime Minister Narendra Modi has turned India into a major maritime hub and urged international partners to work with him to develop a sustainable marine economy.
In order to increase cruise tourism in important locations like Goa, Mumbai, and Chennai, Sonowal also travelled to the Singapore Cruise Centre to examine its infrastructure with the goal of establishing comparable facilities in India.
