MoPSW Launches MAR-a-THON 2025 Hackathon to Drive Maritime Innovation

Delivering the inaugural address, Shri T.K. Ramachandran, IAS, Secretary, MoPSW, underscored the role of technology in achieving Maritime AmritKaal 2047, India’s long-term vision for maritime growth.

The Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW), in partnership with the National Technology Centre for Ports, Waterways & Coasts (NTCPWC), IIT Madras, the National Maritime Complex (NMC), and the Chennai Port Authority (ChPA), today launched MAR-a-THON 2025 – India’s Maritime Hackathon at IIT Madras.

Organised under the Sagarmala Start-up Innovation Initiative (S2I2), the programme is designed to foster Research, Innovation, Start-ups, and Entrepreneurship (RISE) in the maritime sector. Serving as the curtain-raiser to India Maritime Week 2025, the event highlighted the growing importance of innovation for the future of India’s Blue Economy.

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A Catalyst for Maritime AmritKaal 2047

Delivering the inaugural address, Shri T.K. Ramachandran, IAS, Secretary, MoPSW, underscored the role of technology in achieving Maritime AmritKaal 2047, India’s long-term vision for maritime growth.

He noted that MAR-a-THON would act as a catalyst for collaboration between academia and industry, enabling the identification of real-world challenges and the development of scalable solutions. “Innovation and entrepreneurship will be the twin engines that propel India’s maritime ecosystem into a new era of competitiveness and sustainability,” he said.

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Hackathon Structure and Innovation Challenges

At the launch, officials unveiled the Hackathon video, official website, brochure, and the timeline of challenges for MAR-a-THON 2025:

• 25 August – 29 September 2025: Application window for start-ups

• 16–18 October 2025: On-site Hackathon at IIT Madras

• India Maritime Week 2025: Award ceremony and signing of agreements with selected start-ups

Start-ups selected through the competition will receive milestone-based financial support to scale their innovations:

• Proof of Concept (PoC): Up to ₹10 lakh

• Seed Funding (MVP stage): Up to ₹60 lakh

• Tech Pilot Grant (Commercial Scale-up): Up to ₹1 crore

This tiered model aims to nurture ideas from the concept stage to market-ready solutions, encouraging start-ups to stay invested in the maritime innovation pipeline.

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Focus Areas: RISE for the Blue Economy

A key highlight was the panel discussion on “NAVIC #9 – Research, Innovation, Start-ups and Entrepreneurship (RISE)”, which brought together:

• Policymakers to outline regulatory pathways,

• Industry leaders to identify pressing challenges,

• Academics to provide research depth, and

• Start-ups to showcase agile, technology-driven solutions.

The discussion stressed the need for digitalisation, green shipping, AI-enabled logistics, renewable energy integration, coastal security solutions, and port efficiency innovations.

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Innovation Hub and Exhibition

The programme concluded with a start-up exhibition featuring early-stage maritime solutions and a visit to the Sudha & Shankar Innovation Hub at IIT Madras. Participants engaged with cutting-edge technologies such as smart navigation tools, autonomous vessels, and next-gen port management systems, demonstrating India’s growing capability to become a global maritime innovation hub.

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Aligning with Maritime India Vision 2030

MAR-a-THON 2025 reflects MoPSW’s continued emphasis on:

• Nurturing innovation ecosystems through academic–industry partnerships,

• Fostering entrepreneurship among young innovators,

• Building resilience and competitiveness in India’s maritime sector, and

• Strengthening the Blue Economy in line with Maritime India Vision 2030 and AmritKaal Vision 2047.

By prioritising start-up participation and offering robust support frameworks, the ministry seeks to ensure India not only addresses domestic maritime needs but also emerges as a leader in global maritime technology solutions.

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Looking Ahead

The upcoming Hackathon in October is expected to attract hundreds of start-ups and innovators from across the country, generating solutions that could redefine efficiency, sustainability, and security in the maritime space. The award ceremony during India Maritime Week 2025 will further institutionalize these innovations through partnerships and funding commitments.

As India charts its maritime journey towards 2047, MAR-a-THON 2025 stands as a testament to the government’s resolve to build an innovation-driven, self-reliant, and globally competitive maritime sector.