
Can India Match Vietnam’s Maritime Success Without Financial Reform?
Hyderabad (Telangana) [India], July 22: India, with a 7,516.6 km coastline and over 200 ports, is the 16th largest maritime nation globally. It has access to major sea routes, rapidly developing port infrastructure, and a vast, skilled maritime workforce. However, India’s maritime sector continues to face critical weaknesses like heavy dependence on foreign ships for international trade, limited access to vessels, and lack of support from the Indian banking system. In contrast, Vietnam has developed ship-financing mechanisms through public and private banking partnerships. That has maintained balance to create an ecosystem of ports and fleets.
The Indian government has taken several steps to revive domestic shipbuilding and port modernisation. In the Union Budget 2025, it launched a 25,000...