Blitz Bureau
NEW DELHI: India’s blue economy has the potential to become a major engine of national growth, contributing to energy security, food systems, and strategic capabilities, said Union Minister for Science and Technology Jitendra Singh on December 8.
Speaking at a session titled “Blue Economy, Oceans, Poles, Earth and Ecology – Sagarika, the Tale of Earth Sciences” during the India International Science Festival, he noted that India’s oceans remain a largely untapped asset despite the country’s 11,000-km coastline and an exclusive economic zone of over 2.37 million sq km.
He said that nearly 60 per cent of India’s landmass-equivalent area lies in the ocean, yet its economic contribution remains modest. Singh said the Deep Ocean Mission will help institutionalise ocean research and unlock resources ranging from minerals and metals to fisheries and marine biodiversity, while strengthening the clean-energy transition through offshore wind, ocean-based solar, tidal, wave and thermal energy.
He also underlined the urgent need to address emerging climate and environmental challenges, including coastal erosion, marine heat waves, cyclones, pollution and marine litter. He stressed that scientific mapping, advanced technology and greater private-sector involvement will be central to sustainable ocean management. Singh added that the blue economy carries strategic implications as well, with opportunities in marine transport, deep-sea mining, biotechnology and the discovery of new pharmaceutical compounds.
