Opportunities ahead: Insights on maritime decarbonisation in India

Executive summary

Guided by the government’s strong climate change and maritime ambitions, green shipping activity is currently underway across India’s maritime value chain. Shipbuilding orders for methanol, ammonia, and electric vessels have been placed. The market prices for green hydrogen and ammonia in India are among the lowest in the world.

Indian ports are accelerating green shipping activities and infrastructure development, with many gearing up to become green hydrogen hubs. World-leading green fuel training facilities are offering workforce training to local and international seafarers. At the same time, shipowners and operators around the globe are reflagging their vessels and strengthening business operations in India.

Interview and survey data pointed to five strategic advantages within India’s maritime decarbonisation opportunity: geography and location, green fuel cost competitiveness, an advantageous power grid, technical workforce capabilities, and a strong enabling regulatory environment. Most significantly, the cost competitiveness of green fuel production in India creates an opportunity for the nation to become a major exporter of green fuels. This key advantage has already kickstarted further decarbonisation activity across other sectors, including plans to turn Indian ports into green hydrogen hubs that cluster production and export activity locally.

This brief concludes with five overarching recommendations for India to further unlock its potential in maritime decarbonisation:

1. Establish a coalition focusing on securing offtake agreements through partnerships

2. Foster higher levels of cross-value chain collaboration

3. Create strategic green shipping corridors

4. Support the passage of the International Maritime Organization’s Net-Zero Framework

5. Maintain momentum on national policy support, international engagement, and collaboration

Introduction

India is well-positioned to benefit from the global clean energy transition. Renewable energy generation capacity is particularly strong nationwide due to its sunny climate, hydropower, and wind resources. At the same time, India has ambitious climate and energy goals, including a 2070 net-zero emissions target, a green hydrogen mission, and an updated Nationally Determined Contribution under the Paris Agreement. These actions signal India’s intent to capture opportunities in a greening economy and commitment to climate change mitigation.

As an emerging maritime power, India is strategically aligning its decarbonisation and shipping ambitions. For example, it has published two shipping strategies with green initiatives, the Maritime India Vision 2030 and the Maritime Amrit Kaal Vision 2047, and is working to pass the National Green Shipping Policy.

This insight brief provides a broad overview of India’s maritime decarbonisation opportunities, drawing on desk research, surveys, and interviews. The survey and interviews engaged with over 20 participants and were conducted in partnership with GH2 India and the Green Ports and Shipping Network. Specifically, the survey and interview data focused on green fuel production activities¹, India’s national policy landscape, cross-value-chain collaborations, and strategic advantages and barriers to maritime decarbonisation. Several members within the Green Ports and Shipping Network and GH2 India’s network were survey respondents and interviewees.

Mapping current maritime decarbonisation activities in India

The following section explores the various supply- and demand-side actors and actions related to India’s shipping decarbonisation, as well as relevant policy and regulators.

Shipbuilding

While interview data suggests that Indian shipbuilding is underdeveloped and lacks an institutional legacy compared to other shipbuilding nations like China, Japan, and South Korea, there has been meaningful activity to strengthen this sector, primarily driven by the national government. In 2024, India ranked second globally in ship recycling and had the 16th-largest shipbuilding sector. Currently, the top three shipbuilding companies operating in India are Mazagon Dock Limited, Cochin Shipyard Limited, and Hindustan Shipyard Limited. India is witnessing a rise in demand for shipbuilding and repairs, brought forth by both external global demand and national priorities. According to the Maritime India Vision 2030, India aspires to be in the global top ten of shipbuilding nations within the next four years.

The government of India has taken many steps to realise this goal, including the publication of maritime strategies and amendments to the Shipbuilding Financial Assistance Policy. This provides financial assistance of up to 25–30% for the construction of green, hybrid, or specialised vessels, provided they meet a minimum 30% domestic value addition requirement. As of December 2025, India’s government reinforced its shipbuilding commitments by increasing support under the Shipbuilding Financial Assistance Scheme and the Shipbuilding Development Scheme. Provisions included financial assistance to promote domestic vessel manufacturing, credits for scrapping vessels to promote ship recycling, incentives to build new shipyards and modernise existing ones, the introduction of a credit risk coverage framework, and the creation of the India Ship Technology Centre under the Indian Maritime University.

There has already been momentum in shipbuilding due to the Indian government’s engagement with the private sector. In 2025, German shipowner Carsten Rehder placed an order with the Indian state-owned Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers for four methanol-ready multipurpose vessels, set to be delivered over the next two to three years. In the same year, Danish towage provider Svitzer and Cochin Shipyard Limited signed an agreement on four 26-metre electric TRAnsverse tugs in India. India has also entered into shipbuilding agreements with Norway and Japan, and is in discussions with South Korea, Germany, and the UK. Most recently, Swan Defence and Heavy Industries won India’s first ammonia dual-fuel bulk carrier order from Energy One Ltd. It is important to note, however, that there is additional work to be done between governmental ambitions and the current costs of shipbuilding in India, which is leading to compromises as it attempts to become a top shipbuilding nation. Overall, India’s shipbuilding is seeing positive momentum, backed by national government ambitions and practical industry progress, but further growth is required to match other nations.

Green fuel activities

The overwhelming consensus in interview and survey data suggests that India’s cost competitiveness in green fuel production will both kickstart and unlock processes in other areas of its maritime value chain. These statements are supported by multiple price points from tenders for green hydrogen and ammonia in the local markets. These tenders underscore India’s ability to produce green hydrogen at one of the lowest rates in the world, with prices for green hydrogen at a record low of $3.08 per kilogram (kg) and for green ammonia at $570 per metric ton (mt). For comparison, Portugal’s national auction for green hydrogen projects in 2025 concluded with prices around $4.70/kg, and Germany’s H2Global initiative awarded Fertiglobe a green ammonia project at approximately $1,080/mt.

Green fuel activity in India is ramping up. On the governmental side, objectives are laid out through key initiatives, such as India’s Green Hydrogen Mission, that aim to make the country a major producer of green hydrogen and its derivatives. Moreover, upcoming policies, such as the National Green Shipping Policy, will complement current initiatives and offer greater support for domestic green fuel production.

Many industries will benefit from this scale-up, including shipping. Presently, a variety of fuel producers operating in India are advancing the nation’s potential to become a major producer of scalable zero-emission shipping fuels.

• ACME has plans for a 200 kilotonne per annum (ktpa) green methanol project in Gopalpur and a 2,200 metric tonne per day (equivalent to 800 ktpa) green ammonia project in Paradip. ACME also recently won six contracts from the Solar Energy Corporation of India’s auction for green ammonia, totalling 370,000 tonnes per annum.

• Adani recently commissioned a five-megawatt (MW) off-grid green hydrogen pilot plant in Kutch, Gujarat.

• ReNew is establishing a 300 ktpa green ammonia facility in Andhra Pradesh.

• L&T and Itochu have a partnership agreement for a green ammonia bunkering operations project at Kandla port, which aims to reach a final investment decision by 2027.

• AM Green initiated construction of a 1,500 ktpa green ammonia plant in Kakinada, with the aim of starting production in 2027. AM Green is also developing international trade flows for green ammonia produced in India. For instance, it established a green energy supply chain between India and the Port of Rotterdam and has a binding green ammonia offtake agreement with the German firm Uniper.

• Reliance Industries announced a $3 billion green ammonia supply agreement with South Korea’s Samsung C&T under a 15-year contract.

In addition to policy and industry activity, many non-commercial initiatives support green fuel production in India. GH2 India, for example, coordinates the Green Ports and Shipping Network. This initiative aims to connect green fuel developers with the maritime sector, bridge policy gaps, and convene relevant government agencies and think tanks. Another example is the Green Fuels Alliance India (GFAI), an Indo-Danish platform launched by the Danish Embassy and Consulate General in India. GFAI has helped frame India’s green fuels opportunity across a broader spectrum of pathways, from advanced biofuels to hydrogen-derived e-fuels, spanning sectors such as shipping and aviation. With support from the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the GFAI recently published a market study on India’s green fuel potential.

While survey and interview respondents mentioned uncertain demand as a key barrier for green fuel producers, the data showed patterns in demand for Indian green fuels. Current international demand for green maritime fuels produced in India is largely concentrated in Japan, Singapore, South Korea, and the EU. Many fuel producers indicated that the regulatory environments of these countries are fostering demand and supporting green fuel offtakes. There was also strong consensus in the interview data that a global, unified regulatory scheme under the IMO’s Net-Zero Framework will create the strongest industry-wide demand signal to encourage fuel offtakers.

Meanwhile, domestic green fuel demand in India is limited but growing, largely driven by government policy ambitions and the greening of steel and fertiliser production. The designation of three major Indian ports as green hydrogen hubs has helped create domestic demand for green maritime fuel production and the build-out of bunkering capacity. While green fuel projects in India must adhere to domestic regulatory frameworks, there is a parallel push to align certification schemes with international standards like the EU’s directive on Renewable Fuels of Non-Biological Origin, which could support future export competitiveness. In general, green fuels are seen as the backbone of India’s maritime decarbonisation opportunity.

Maritime workforce

The decarbonisation of the maritime sector requires infrastructure to safely store, transport, and use alternative green fuels, as well as workers with the proper training to operate in a decarbonised setting. India supplies a large portion of the skilled workforce in shipping. Twelve percent of global seafarers come from India, the third largest share globally, and the country saw the largest growth rate in seafarers from 2013 to 2023. Decarbonising the shipping sector creates new job opportunities and requires reskilling the maritime workforce to use alternative green fuels that require different safety protocols. Therefore, training the workforce and updating or drafting new safety guidelines for handling these fuels is critical. New training centres in India are being established to comply with the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers, such as the Directorate General-approved BSM training facility in Kochi. Specific green fuel training has also begun to be established in India, including the pioneering Anglo-Eastern Maritime Academy’s ammonia bunkering training station in Mumbai, one of the few ammonia-specific training facilities anywhere in the world.

In terms of policy, the National Centre for Excellence in Green Ports and Shipping, established in 2022 by the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways and the Energy and Resources Institute, created specific objectives to skill and strengthen the workforce required for India’s maritime decarbonisation. Most recently, government conversations have begun to examine the capacity-building and green-skilling required to implement the National Green Shipping Policy.² Overall, India has policy and industry support for its maritime workforce and has also set up necessary infrastructure to create training opportunities for seafarers.

Shipowners and operators

India is not currently a major shipowner but is part of international shipping networks; therefore, the majority of shipowner demand for decarbonisation solutions is likely to come from international vessels. That said, some domestic companies are taking additional steps to advance shipping decarbonisation. For example, Great Eastern Shipping, India’s largest private-sector shipping company, is prioritising operational efficiency measures, fleet retrofits, and fuel flexibility. Moreover, the state-owned Shipping Corporation of India Ltd (SCI), one of India’s largest ship owners by fleet size, signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Wärtsilä India to support green shipping projects. In March of this year, SCI placed India’s first order for a dual-fuel methanol platform supply vessel through an agreement with India’s Mazagon Dock Limited. The upcoming National Green Shipping Policy also includes provisions that affect shipowners, such as a maritime credit facility and a target to retrofit at least 20% of Indian-flagged vessels to low- or zero-emission propulsion by 2035.

At the same time, international collaborations are providing a positive signal for Indian shipping decarbonisation. For instance, A.P. Moller-Maersk, CMA CGM, and MSC have all recently strengthened their engagement and business operations in India. In 2025, CMA CGM re-registered four vessels under the Indian flag, recruited 1,000 seafarers from India, discussed maritime connectivity along the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor with governmental officials, and signed a letter of intent with Cochin Shipyard Ltd for six new LNG-powered vessels built in India. In the same year, A.P. Moller-Maersk made commitments to reflag vessels, support skill development for the maritime workforce, invest in port infrastructure, and strengthen local partnerships in India. Meanwhile, MSC held bilateral meetings with Indian government officials to discuss maritime collaborations, including shipbuilding, investments, and container terminals. Moreover, earlier this year, Rederiet Stenersen AS and Swan Defence and Heavy Industries signed a contract to have six dual-fuel LNG chemical tankers built in Pipavav shipyard in Gujarat, and Hapag-Lloyd signed a letter of intent with the government of India, which includes reflagging vessels, ship recycling, infrastructure development, and sustainable shipping initiatives.

While not all of these measures are directly tied to green shipping, the heightened involvement of major industry players, coupled with India’s green policy directives, provides strong indicators of meaningful shipping decarbonisation progress within the country. Overall, many shipowners and operators, both international and domestic, are increasing their operations and engagement with India. These industry partnerships are crucial to stimulating demand for green fuels and uplifting India’s national maritime priorities.

Ports

India has 12 major ports (Figure 1) and 200 minor ports. In 2025, India’s Ministry of New and Renewable Energy announced green hydrogen hubs at three major ports: Deendayal Port Authority (Gujarat), V.O. Chidambaranar Port Authority (Tamil Nadu), and Paradip Port Authority (Odisha).

Research has also highlighted three Indian ports with strategic advantages to support green hydrogen and ammonia production: Cochin, Deendayal Port Authority (DPA), and Jawaharlal Nehru Ports Authority. Additionally, it identified opportunities for V.O. Chidambaranar Port Authority (VOC) and Paradip Port Authority (PPA) to support green fuel demand in East Asian markets, and for the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority, DPA, Cochin, and Mumbai to support European green fuel demand.

Figure 1: Map of India’s major ports³

The DPA has already commissioned L&T Energy GreenTech to build a one MW green hydrogen plant, with ambitions to scale it up to ten MW in the future. The DPA, also known as Kandla port, focuses on electrification, green mobility, and shore power supplies as some of the leading steps towards maritime decarbonisation. Most recently, it carried out India’s first methanol bunkering demonstration. The port aims to supply approximately 500 ktpa of e-methanol by 2028-2029 for international shipping routes and offer ship-to-ship methanol bunkering in the future.

Meanwhile, VOC is focusing on proactively making infrastructure available. As one of the nationally nominated green hydrogen hubs in India, it is already producing green hydrogen and recently announced plans to establish India’s first green methanol bunkering infrastructure. Lastly, PPA is developing an ammonia and hydrogen-handling project through a public-private partnership. Interview data also pointed to these ports allocating land for co-located large-scale hydrogen production.

Other green port fuel activities have sprung up this year. In February, India’s renewable energy ministry announced that it is preparing a tender for 500,000 tonnes of green methanol in partnership with the DPA. However, some industry actors are pushing for more specific information about the scheme ahead of its announcement, including clarity on the eligible CO₂ feedstock sources and whether other port authorities may participate as demand aggregators. In March, the Mumbai Port Authority published its intention to supply methanol as a bunker fuel. Its main focus is on e-methanol; however, it also allows some forms of low-carbon methanol, such as bio-methanol.

Lastly, the Port Division under the Ministry of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways has undertaken multiple sustainable port initiatives to actively support India’s shipping decarbonisation. Most notably, the Harit Sagar Guidelines (2023) for green port development established a green tug transition programme and focuses on transitioning major ports to renewable energy, improving shore-to-ship power, electrifying cargo handling equipment, and enacting sustainable waste management systems. Partnerships are being established to help further these ambitions. For example, SECI and the Mumbai Port Authority signed an MoU in February to support solar installations and energy efficiency at the port facilities. Overall, many Indian ports, under the direction of governmental initiatives and policies, are strengthening their green shipping capacities, and there are particular opportunities for VOC, DPA, and PPA to emerge as integrated green fuel hubs, combining production, storage, bunkering, and export capabilities.

Cargo owners

India is the second-largest seaborne importer, accounting for 7% of the global total. Key imports include crude petroleum, coal, petroleum gas, gold, and integrated circuits. Key exports include refined petroleum, telephones, packaged medications, diamonds, jewellery, rice, and motor vehicles.

Many cargo owners are facing pressures to decarbonise based on their environmental, social, and governance commitments and regulatory action, such as the EU’s Emissions Trading System and FuelEU Maritime policies and India’s Harit Sagar Green Port Guidelines, which include targets for a 30% reduction in carbon emissions per ton of cargo by 2030 and 70% reduction by 2047.

The limited data available on cargo owner decarbonisation activities across India suggest that green shipping actions are limited. One reason could be that cargo owners are waiting for other value chain actors to provide the necessary market signals to make a clear business case. However, initiatives such as green shipping corridors could play a critical role in aggregating demand and fostering greater participation from cargo owners.

Insights on cross-value chain collaboration

As mentioned above, India’s government has announced and enacted policies supporting maritime decarbonisation across the value chain, with particular attention to ports, shipbuilding, maritime workforce, and green fuel production. In addition to these policies and initiatives, the government has also launched initiatives to support cross-cutting green shipping activities. The Maritime Development Fund will provide around $3 billion to shipbuilding, port infrastructure, green vessels, and energy efficiency, with key timeline targets in 2030 and 2047. This fund will work in tandem with other green shipping policies and strategies to progress India’s maritime vision.

Moreover, several green shipping corridor initiatives, which incorporate actors across the value chain, have been launched by India and its partners. In June 2025, bilateral talks between India and Denmark confirmed a commitment to the Indo-Danish Centre of Excellence on Green Shipping and a green shipping corridor. The Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller Center for Zero Carbon Shipping has started a pre-feasibility study of Indian green corridors to identify the most optimal routes. In September 2025, the governments of India and Singapore signed an MoU to establish the Singapore-India Green and Digital Shipping Corridor. Research has indicated Rotterdam–India–Singapore as a potential green corridor route. On the domestic side, the coastal VOC-Deendayal (Kandla-Thoothukudi) corridor serves as a pilot for small-scale green corridor activity.

Engagement with the H2Global programme, which fosters double auctions to stimulate demand and lock in purchase agreements for green hydrogen and its fuel derivatives, has also started through conversations with the government of India and H2Global Foundation representatives.

Lastly, some cross-value-chain efforts can yield synergistic outcomes. For example, ramping up green fuel activities and policies unlocks cascading impacts for India’s maritime sector, such as ports becoming green fuel hubs. Table 1 presents four different decarbonisation synergies found across the maritime value chain in India.

Cross-value-chain actors and actions	Outcomes
Green fuel producers + ports + policy	Green hydrogen hubs
Shipbuilders + shipowners + government engagement/policy	New zero-emission vessel orders
Maritime workforce + shipping companies	Green fuel training stations
Policy/government engagement + ports + shipbuilders + green fuel producers + cargo owners+ maritime workforce + ship owners & operators	Green shipping corridors

Table 1: Key synergy outcomes when combining India’s current maritime strengths

Insights on India’s strategic advantages in maritime decarbonisation

Interview and survey data identified five main strategic advantages that India holds in maritime decarbonisation.

The first is an inherent advantage due to India’s unique geography and location. India is home to abundant renewable resources, and its peninsular shape provides access to the Arabian Sea, the Bay of Bengal, and the Indian Ocean. This directly connects to India’s advantageous location on major trade routes, which spur interest from international shipping companies. These natural traits set the scene for producing green fuels at a competitively low cost and stimulating maritime trade flows. Second, the cost competitiveness of green fuel production enables the opportunity for India to become a major exporter of green fuels and turn its ports into major hubs. Third, India has a strong centralised power grid, which can facilitate the distribution and balancing of renewable electricity as capacity expands. There are two limitations to this advantage, however: India’s electricity generation is still primarily sourced by coal, meaning it will take time for renewable sources to dominate the grid, and while grid connectivity is well-suited to support shore power and green fuel production (via accounting tools like PPAs), Indian fuel producers may face challenges of alignment with regulatory frameworks elsewhere, notably the EU Renewable Energy Criteria, which imposes conditions on the use of grid electricity for green fuels. Fourth, India is known for its technical workforce with expertise in science, technology, engineering, ammonia, and maritime logistics, skillsets that further enable maritime decarbonisation opportunities. Lastly, India’s national government has laid out many of the necessary regulatory signals, such as strategic frameworks, targets, and subsidies, required to jumpstart maritime decarbonisation. When these strategic advantages are combined, they could foster the growth and speed needed to unlock near-term maritime decarbonisation opportunities and capture large portions of the emerging green maritime economy.

Current barriers to India’s maritime decarbonisation

The majority of interviewees and survey respondents identified a lack of international regulatory clarity as one of the largest barriers to India’s maritime decarbonisation, as this is directly linked to fostering a strong demand signal for green fuels. The stalling of the Net-Zero Framework has led to a reliance on regional clusters of regulations, which add an extra layer of difficulty due to varying requirements. Different geographies have different definitions of green fuels. This creates additional challenges for Indian fuel producers exploring green fuel exports to international markets, particularly when domestic standards may not fully align with more stringent international certification requirements. Additionally, securing offtakes for green fuel was repeatedly mentioned as a key barrier for India, prompting a call to action for private-sector actors to get more involved and support scale-up, possibly through public-private partnerships. Survey data also identified infrastructure gaps, high cost of capital, and limited domestic demand as key constraints on India’s leadership in maritime decarbonisation. In regard to infrastructure, the transportation and handling of green hydrogen remain challenging, highlighting the importance of hydrogen clusters at the three designated ports to minimise transport distances. These fuels also pose bunkering challenges, which necessitate new or modified bunker vessels. The majority of ports do not currently have ammonia-handling facilities or developed port-side connectivity. Additionally, a lack of Indian green fuel demand mandates is slowing domestic demand. Moreover, since India is a large, complex country, the different layers of its government can create communicative roadblocks and slow down decarbonisation progress. However, India’s national government has been working on ways to simplify these complexities and deliver on its ambitions, such as through workshops with ports and state governments.

Summary of India's strengths and barriers in maritime decarbonisation

Segment	Strengths	Barriers
Fuel production	- Extremely cost competitive for green fuel production - Abundant renewable resources - Governmental support, such as Green Hydrogen Mission and upcoming National Green Shipping Policy - Fuel producers based in or operating in India	- Global regulatory uncertainty at the IMO level - Lack of long-term offtakers - Limited domestic demand - Lack of Indian demand mandates for green fuels - Different fuel standards and definitions in the global export market
Shipbuilding	- Governmental support through subsidies and engagement with industry and foreign governments - Some existing infrastructure to leverage and develop further	- Other nations, such as China, ROK, and Japan, are ahead of India in shipbuilding and have the infrastructure in place for green shipbuilding at scale - Few orders for green shipbuilding in India so far
Ports	- Indian governmental support such as >> Harit Sagar Guidelines >> Tenders >> Three ports (VOC, DPA, PPA) designated as green hydrogen hubs - Cross-value chain collaboration - Land availability for green fuel production	- Infrastructure gaps - High capital expenditure - Fuel availability - Demand uncertainty
Workforce	- Pre-existing high capacity of India’s technical workforce - Current infrastructure, such as green fuel training centres, are in place - Moderate governmental support	- Gaps in safety regulations and standardised guidelines - Less governmental support than other maritime decarbonisation initiatives

Conclusion and recommendations

Through a blend of governmental and industry action, India’s commitment to maritime decarbonisation has ignited progress across the value chain and opened the door to a leading role in green shipping. India’s competitive edge in this endeavour lies primarily in green fuel production, ports as integrated hydrogen hubs, and its workforce. Interview and survey data also pointed to five strategic advantages within India’s maritime decarbonisation opportunity: geography and location, green fuel cost competitiveness, an advantageous power grid, technical workforce capabilities, and a strong enabling regulatory environment.

With these points in mind, there are five broad recommendations to consider:

Establish a coalition focusing on enabling green fuel offtake through partnerships

Interviews and survey responses repeatedly suggested that finding offtakers for green fuel produced in India is a key challenge. Therefore, having third-party organisations support a coalition featuring offtakers and fuel producers offers a collaborative platform to foster tangible outcomes. This could involve jointly focusing on fundamental roadblocks in maritime decarbonisation, such as ensuring the availability of low-cost, internationally certified fuel at key ports, while also addressing demand-side constraints through targeted mechanisms such as tenders or requests for proposals for bunkering infrastructure and projects. At the same time, these partnerships can also help India develop a domestic market, including building readiness for bunkering alongside exporting fuels, to ensure economic benefits are locally captured.

Foster higher levels of cross-value chain collaboration

Cross-value chain collaboration is a key factor for successful maritime decarbonisation. Survey data indicates that many maritime actors wish to collaborate with other value chain segments but, in reality, remain siloed. This is where efforts such as those ongoing through the Green Ports and Shipping Network could offer meaningful support. By bringing together parties to focus on a project with a clear target, such as fuel pilots, bunkering infrastructure, or electric ships.

Create strategic green shipping corridors

While the term “green shipping corridor” has become a common buzzword in maritime decarbonisation, these route-based initiatives can deliver much greater value when used strategically. The most impactful approach is for corridors to bring industry, ports, and relevant public sector actors together to support scalable zero-emission fuels, such as hydrogen, ammonia, and methanol, that require commercialisation support and the coordination of investments in assets along the value chain.

Support the passage of the IMO’s Net-Zero Framework

Private parties need assurances for long-term green fuel contracts. While national-level policy can help, a global unified framework at the IMO level is the most efficient way to provide this demand signal at the scale required. In light of ongoing IMO negotiations floating multiple scenarios for the Net-Zero Framework, a recent insight brief found that the original framework contains the elements the maritime industry needs to deliver a reliable and consistent demand signal, along with the revenue needed to drive both early adoption and widespread uptake of scalable zero-emission fuels, as well as ensure lower-income countries are not left behind in the transition. By contrast, alternative scenarios, such as a single-tier fuel standard or the removal of economic elements altogether, could push the availability of such fuels into the 2040s. These insights should be taken into consideration as India prepares for the upcoming negotiations.

Maintain momentum on national policy support, international engagement, and collaboration

The final recommendation is for India’s national government to continue to pass supportive policies, streamline communication with other levels of government, and engage with industry and foreign governments. For instance, the pending National Green Shipping Policy can unlock more demand and opportunities in India, while complementing existing strategies and targets. Moreover, India can play a key role in reducing uncertainty for exporters by aligning domestic certification frameworks with leading international standards. Lastly, India has engaged with several other nations to jumpstart green shipping. Continued conversations with international initiatives such as green shipping corridors, H2Global, and the EU’s Global Gateway could provide additional positive outcomes.