The Visakhapatnam Port Authority (VPA) will welcome ministerial delegations, port chiefs, maritime experts and business leaders from all seven Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi‑Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) nations—Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand—when it stages the second BIMSTEC Ports Conclave on 14 and 15 July. Themed “Navigating the Future: Blue Economy, Innovation & Sustainable Partnerships,” the two‑day forum is tailored to unlock private investment and forge new infrastructure alliances across the region’s ports.
Organisers say sessions will highlight green‑energy adoption, shore‑to‑ship power supply, digital transformation and workforce up‑skilling, all aligned with India’s Maritime India Vision 2030 and Amrit Kaal Vision 2047. Delegates will also discuss fast‑tracking the Kaladan Multimodal Transit Corridor, promoting coastal tourism circuits, and catalysing port‑linked special‑economic zones and industrial corridors.
VPA chair K. Rama Mohana Rao called the conclave a reaffirmation of India’s commitment to strengthening regional maritime connectivity. Vizag hosted the inaugural BIMSTEC ports meet in 2019, and officials believe the return edition will deepen cooperation while positioning the eastern seaboard as a key gateway for trade within South and Southeast Asia.