Sagarmanthan 2026: 3rd Great Oceans Dialogue opens in New Delhi
Why in the news
The third edition of Sagarmanthan: The Great Oceans Dialogue opened in New Delhi on 7 October 2026. Prime Minister Narendra Modi sent a message to the gathering.
Key facts
- Organisers: Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW) and the Observer Research Foundation (ORF).
- PM’s message: called for a free, open, secure and rules-based maritime order; noted that Indian seafarers form the world’s second-largest maritime workforce and that major port capacity has nearly doubled.
- Keynote: Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal; MoS Shantanu Thakur also spoke.
- Other speakers: former Australian PM Kevin Rudd, Navy chief Admiral Krishna Swaminathan and EU Commissioner Apostolos Tzitzikostas.
- India-EU Green Shipping Corridor: coalition launched, moving from feasibility to implementation, with a focus on green ammonia and methanol.
- Publication: Oceans of Alignment: India-South Korea Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific.
Participation
| Group | Examples |
|---|---|
| Countries/blocs | Australia, EU, France, Norway, South Korea, UAE, Belgium, Bhutan, Seychelles, Ecuador |
| African nations | Nigeria, Ethiopia, Ghana, Egypt |
| Organisations | OECD, UN Trade and Development, AIIB, African Union |
About Sagarmanthan
The name means churning of the ocean, symbolising the search for new possibilities. The dialogue brings governments, experts and industry together on maritime cooperation. In his message the PM linked maritime growth to the goal of Viksit Bharat by 2047 and to new-generation maritime laws.
Exam angle
- Edition: 3rd; organisers MoPSW and ORF; keynote by Sarbananda Sonowal.
- Green Shipping Corridor launched with the European Union.
- Publication on India-South Korea cooperation in the Indo-Pacific.