Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday addressed the Maritime India Summit through video conferencing and made the clarion call while expressing India's vision to turn up it as a leading Blue Economy of the world with its focus on the maritime sector.

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The Prime Minister invited the whole world to come to India and be a part of its growth trajectory considering its seriousness towards the maritime sector.

"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 very serious about growing in the maritime sector and emerging as a leading Blue Economy of the world," the Prime Minister said after inaugurating the summit.

He also said that India will invest USD 82 billion in port projects by 2035, raise the share of clean renewable energy sources in the maritime sector, develop waterways and boost tourism around lighthouses as part of port-led development.

The government, he said, is looking to operationalise 23 waterways by 2030. "Ours is a government that is investing in waterways in a way that was never seen before. Domestic waterways are found to be cost-effective and environment-friendly ways of transporting freight," he said.

PM Modi also said that plans have been drawn for developing tourism on land adjacent to 78 out of 189 lighthouses on the Indian coastline. "This with the objective of enhancing the development of the existing lighthouses and its surrounding areas into unique maritime tourism landmarks," he said adding the government has also initiated holistic development of islands.

The Prime Minister further said that the summit will bring together key stakeholders from the maritime sector and play a leading role in furthering the growth of India's maritime economy.

(With agency inputs)