New Delhi: The Indian Maritime University (IMU) has onboarded the first batch of four start-ups into its newly established Maritime Innovation Hub (MIH), marking the launch of its incubation programme aimed at fostering entrepreneurship and technology-led innovation in the maritime sector.
Set up at the university’s headquarters under the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways’ Start-ups, Scale-ups and Innovation (S2I2) programme, the Maritime Innovation Hub seeks to nurture early-stage ventures working on solutions for green shipping, smart ports, logistics, ocean technologies and maritime safety.
During the onboarding ceremony, the selected start-ups signed Letters of Undertaking and sanction agreements with the university and received seed funding support under the incubation programme. Representatives from the Maritime India Foundation, academia and the start-up ecosystem also attended the event.
Speaking on the occasion, Dr Malini V. Shankar, Vice-Chancellor of IMU, said the Maritime Innovation Hub would serve as a dedicated incubation centre for indigenous maritime technologies and contribute to India’s ambition of becoming a global maritime leader by supporting innovation in emerging areas such as sustainable shipping and maritime safety.
Dr Rajoo Balaji, Pro Vice-Chancellor, said the initiative reflects the university’s commitment to strengthening innovation, entrepreneurship and industry-academia collaboration while promoting sustainable solutions for the maritime sector.
Viswanathan, Managing Director of the Maritime India Foundation, said maritime start-ups will play an increasingly important role in advancing technology, improving global competitiveness and supporting sustainable economic growth. He added that collaborative platforms such as IMU’s innovation hub can help create the next generation of maritime entrepreneurs.
The university said the initiative is part of its broader effort to build a maritime innovation ecosystem by connecting academia, industry and entrepreneurs to accelerate the development of technology-driven solutions for the sector. As a Central University under the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, IMU focuses on maritime education, training, research and capacity building through its campuses across the country.
