The India Pavilion was officially inaugurated on Tuesday at Nor-Shipping, one of the world’s premier maritime events, by His Royal Highness The Crown Prince of Norway, Haakon, alongside Union Minister of Ports, Shipping & Waterways, Sarbananda Sonowal. This marks India’s first-ever participation in the global maritime exhibition, showcasing the country’s maritime capabilities and fostering international cooperation in the sector.
The Crown Prince toured the pavilion with the Union Minister, showing particular interest in the National Maritime Heritage Complex (NMHC) model from Lothal, Gujarat. The NMHC aims to preserve India’s maritime heritage spanning over 4,000 years, from the Indus Valley Civilization to modern times. The Crown Prince acknowledged India’s rich maritime history as older than Norway’s Viking tradition.
Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal highlighted India’s growing maritime ambitions, guided by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s philosophy of “Vikas Bhi, Virasat Bhi” (Development as well as Heritage). He emphasized the importance of balancing modern maritime infrastructure development with preservation of India’s ancient seafaring legacy. The minister also invited Norway to collaborate on the NMHC through cultural, technological, and academic partnerships.
Several prominent Indian maritime companies, including Cochin Shipyard Ltd, Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers Ltd, and Goa Shipyard Ltd, participated in the pavilion alongside MSME firms, demonstrating the breadth of India’s maritime industry.
The Crown Prince expressed admiration for India’s robust economic growth and confirmed plans to visit India later this year with a high-level business delegation. As a gesture of goodwill, Sonowal presented him with a commemorative plaque inspired by the Harappan civilization.
India and Norway share a strong maritime partnership, with Indian seafarers comprising 10% of Norwegian vessel crews and collaborations in blue economy initiatives such as marine spatial planning and pollution research. The joint efforts continue under the framework of the India-Norway Joint Task Force on Blue Economy established in 2019.