Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh conducted a meeting today with Norwegian Ambassador to India, Ms. May-Elin Stener, to review the collaboration between India and Norway on the Blue Economy.
Dr. Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology, Earth Sciences, and other key departments, emphasized the need to strengthen the Joint Task Force (JTF) on Blue Economy by enhancing cooperation. The task force is co-chaired by the Secretary of the Ministry of Earth Sciences, Government of India.
Highlighting the ‘India-Norway Integrated Ocean Management and Research Initiative,’ Dr. Singh stressed the importance of deepening the collaboration. He mentioned India’s deep-sea mission, which involves sending three Indians to explore mineral opportunities and seabed mining.
Dr. Singh credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership for accelerating India’s marine and ocean exploration, predicting that the Blue Economy will significantly contribute to India’s growth. He also noted India’s deployment of IndARC, the first sub-surface moored observatory in the Arctic, as a major scientific achievement.
Norwegian Ambassador Ms. May-Elin Stener highlighted the synergy between Norway’s technology and India’s scalability. She praised Dr. Singh’s efforts and guidance on projects under the Earth Sciences Ministry. Stener proposed enhancing ties in science and technology, along with ongoing marine and polar studies, recalling her Prime Minister’s remarks on India and Norway being neighbors in Antarctica in terms of scientific research and facilities.
Dr. Singh mentioned the Indo-Norwegian Fellowship Program, which enabled three students to work on Arctic and Antarctic glaciology, funded by the government. He also referenced the MoU signed between the National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR) and the Norwegian Polar Institute (NPI) for collaboration in polar sciences at the 46th Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting in Kochi.
Dr. Singh recalled the jointly developed draft framework for Marine Spatial Planning (MSP) by India and Norway, looking forward to the upcoming UN Conference on Oceans (UNOC-3) in Nice, France, in 2025.
