The Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW) conducted a one-day workshop in New Delhi on IT procurement and project management, aimed at accelerating digital transformation in India’s maritime sector under the Maritime Amrit Kaal Vision 2047.

The workshop was inaugurated virtually by the Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Shri Sarbananda Sonowal, who highlighted the role of digital innovation in improving port operations and stakeholder services.

Addressing the event, Shri T.K. Ramachandran, Secretary of MoPSW, stressed the need for innovation, collaboration, and capacity building to ensure efficient digital implementation. Senior officials from ports and related organisations took part in interactive sessions focusing on project challenges, root causes, and solution-driven approaches.

A major feature of the event was the introduction of the proposed Digital Centre of Excellence (DCoE), to be established with support from the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (CDAC), for delivering IT projects.

Live demonstrations included SPARSH and Counsello—AI-powered platforms developed by startups. Draft IT procurement guidelines were also presented for participant feedback. Shri R. Lakshmanan, Joint Secretary (IT), led discussions affirming MoPSW’s vision for advanced, indigenous digital systems.

The event concluded with a call for integration of emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML).

Source:Press Information Bureau (PIB)