Overview
India’s Blue Economy encompasses the sustainable use of ocean resources and the economic activities and infrastructure associated with the country’s marine, maritime and coastal zones. It covers fisheries and aquaculture, ports and shipping, coastal and marine tourism, offshore energy, marine biotechnology, seabed resources and other ocean-based industries, with economic development closely linked to environmental sustainability and national security. Hydrospatial Infrastructure supports this ecosystem by bringing together hydrographic surveys, bathymetry, marine geospatial information, ocean observations and navigation data to provide a consistent understanding of the seabed, water column, coastline and offshore environment.
The expanding use of India’s maritime domain is opening new markets across ports, shipping, fisheries, aquaculture and ocean resources. With a 11,098.81 km coastline and around 2.37 million sq km EEZ, the sector underpins nearly 95% of trade by volume and 70% by value. Major initiatives are expanding this economic base like Sagarmala program is driving port-led development and coastal connectivity through 845 projects worth ₹6.06 lakh crore, the Deep Ocean Mission is opening new frontiers in deep-sea exploration, seabed resources and underwater technologies; and PMMSY is strengthening fisheries and aquaculture infrastructure and value chains. As marine assets, resources and activities expand across a complex and increasingly data-intensive domain, accurate hydrographic, bathymetric and geospatial information is becoming essential for locating resources, planning infrastructure, ensuring safe navigation and managing competing uses of marine space.
Geospatial and space technologies enable the integration of marine information for effective planning and operations. Earth observation, GNSS, hydrographic surveying, bathymetry, marine GIS, ocean observation, AI and spatial analytics support marine spatial planning, navigation, port development, fisheries, coastal monitoring and offshore infrastructure. Integrated hydrospatial infrastructure can address fragmented data and changing marine conditions while enabling timely, informed decisions.
GeoSmart India 2026 will bring these priorities together through the Blue Economy & Hydrospatial Summit, focusing on practical technology adoption across India’s marine economy. The Summit will convene government, maritime agencies, industry, technology providers, researchers and investors to advance interoperable marine data, hydrospatial innovation and commercially viable solutions.
Read More
