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Celebrating World Oceans Day 2025 webinar: India-Japan Regional Dialogue on Maritime Cooperation: Blue Economy, Digital Transformation & Marine Spatial Planning (MSP) in the Indian Ocean

2025.07.07
On 8 June 2025, the Maritime Research Center (MRC), in collaboration with Japan’s Ocean Policy Research Institute of the Sasakawa Peace Foundation (OPRI-SPF) and Nirdhwani Technology Pvt. Ltd., hosted a webinar titled “India–Japan Regional Dialogue on Maritime Cooperation: Blue Economy, Digital Transformation & Marine Spatial Planning (MSP) in the Indian Ocean.”

Held in celebration of World Oceans Day, the event brought together Indian and Japanese experts to advance dialogue on ocean sustainability in the Indo-Pacific. Key speakers included Dr. (Cdr.) Arnab Das (MRC), Amb. Anup Kumar Mudgal (FICCI), Dr. Emadul Islam (Nayan) and Dr. Mengyao Zhu (OPRI-SPF), Prof. Shankari Sundararaman (JNU), Shri Praful Talera (MRC), and Cathrine J (MRC). Each contributed insights on Marine Spatial Planning, digital transformation, and inclusive governance.

The dialogue underscored that India and Japan—two key maritime nations—are well-positioned to jointly address regional challenges such as climate change, marine pollution, and geopolitical tension. One recurring theme was that “Oceans are the Mother of Life,” reinforcing the essential link between ocean health and human well-being.

The session also spotlighted synergies between Japan’s technological strengths and India’s Underwater Domain Awareness (UDA) framework. The “100 Coastal/River Warriors” initiative was introduced as a grassroots model to empower coastal communities through digital engagement.

In sum, the webinar emphasized the urgency of collaborative, technology-driven, and community-focused maritime strategies to secure a sustainable future for the Indian Ocean and the broader Indo-Pacific region.

You can find a more detailed report here.

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