Virtual Maritime India Summit 2021 concluded on 4 March 2021. The three-day maritime conference was one of the biggest virtual maritime summits of the world. Apart from foreign maritime companies, Indian shipping companies and leading maritime associations of India like the Maritime Union of India and Maritime Association of Ship-owners Ship-managers & Agents participated actively in the summit. The summit was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. In his inaugural address, he said, “Through this Maritime India Summit, I want to invite the world to come to India and be a part of our growth trajectory. India is serious about growing in the maritime sector and emerging as a leading Blue Economy of the world. Our leading focus areas include: Upgrade current infrastructure. Create next-generation infrastructure. Boost the reform journey. Through these steps, we aim to give strength to our vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat.” “Like all other sectors, we are ensuring that work relating to the maritime sector does not happen in silos,” he added. “We recently made the ambit wider by renaming the Ministry of Shipping as Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways. The ministry will strive for excellence in: Maritime shipping and navigation, Education and training for the mercantile marine, Ship-building and ship-repair industry, Ship-breaking, Fishing vessels industry and floating craft industry”. In his key note address of Chabahar day Session on the concluding day of the summit, Mansukh Mandaviya, Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways of India, said that Chabahar Port project will be developed as a transit hub for cross connectivity between the India and Eurasia, and further added that Chabahar Port handled 123 vessels and total 13,752 TEUs and 1.8 million tonnes of bulk/general cargo. Chabahar Port has also emerged as the ‘connecting point’ for the region to deliver humanitarian assistance during the Covid-19 pandemic, added Mandaviya. He reiterated the importance of the maritime sector and said, “The 21st century will not belong to land; it will be a century of the seas, skies and space”. In the Valedictory Session of Maritime India Summit-2021, Sanjay Bandopadhyaya, additional secretary, Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, briefed about the summit and added that about 190,000 delegates registered for the summit, 16 international ministers from 11 nations joined different sessions of the summit. Six Union ministers, chief ministers of three states and two state ministers too participated in these sessions. And 55 CEOs, including 31 of foreign shipping companies, participated in the CEO’s forum. Also, 110 exhibitors participated in the summit, which had 18 pavilions and 107 booths. The summit witnessed 5,540 B2B meetings. Over 64,000 people visited the virtual summit during three days during 2-4 March 2021. “Maritime India Summit 2021 will empower and strengthen Maritime India Vision 2030, which was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the inauguration of the summit,” said Mandaviya, in his concluding remark. “Due to MIS 2021, the expectations and the aspirations of the world towards India have increased. We have to keep marching towards achieving our goal. MoUs signed during the summit should borne successful outcome with our dedicated and focussed efforts”. His address ended with an optimism, when he said: “Atmanirbhar Maritime Sector would be foundation of the New India and Atmanirbhar India”