The Maritime India Foundation (MIF), under the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur (IIT Kharagpur) under the Sagarmala Startup Innovation Initiative (S2I2) on May 15, 2026, at Chennai Port Authority, Chennai.
The agreement marks another significant milestone in building a structured innovation ecosystem for India’s maritime sector and advancing the vision of an Atmanirbhar Bharat through indigenous technology development.
As part of the initiative, MIF is partnering with leading academic institutions to establish Maritime Innovation Hubs (MIHs) aimed at fostering collaboration between startups, academia, and industry for the development of next-generation maritime solutions.
Earlier this month, on May 5, 2026, MIF formalised similar MoUs with the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras), Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IIT Bombay), and Indian Maritime University (IMU), Chennai.
With the onboarding of four S2I2 Maritime Innovation Hubs, the initiative is expected to accelerate innovation across the maritime and logistics ecosystem by promoting indigenous, technology-driven solutions aligned with the “Make in India, Make for the World” vision.
The Maritime Innovation Hubs will support startups working on advanced technologies and sustainable solutions for ports, shipping, shipbuilding, logistics, and allied maritime sectors, strengthening India’s long-term maritime competitiveness.