Minister Jitendra Singh Reviews Indo-Norway Collaboration on Blue Economy with Norwegian Ambassador

New Delhi: Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh held a crucial meeting today in North Block to review the ongoing Indo-Norway collaboration on Blue Economy with Norwegian Ambassador to India, May-Elin Stener. The meeting underscored the importance of reinforcing cooperation through the Joint Task Force (JTF) on Blue Economy, co-chaired by the Secretary of the Ministry of Earth Sciences, Government of India.

Dr. Singh, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology, Earth Sciences, and various other departments, emphasized the need to strengthen the JTF to bolster the blue economy initiatives. He highlighted the significance of the ‘India-Norway Integrated Ocean Management and Research Initiative’ and expressed the intent to deepen this collaboration further.

The Minister also shared details about India’s ambitious deep-sea mission, which involves sending three Indians to explore the deep sea, unlocking new opportunities in mineral exploration and seabed mining. “Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership has enabled India’s journey into marine and ocean exploration,” Dr. Singh stated, underscoring the pivotal role of the blue economy in fostering India’s growth story.

Highlighting India’s major scientific accomplishments, Dr. Singh pointed to the deployment of IndARC, India’s first sub-surface moored observatory in the Arctic waters, halfway between Norway and the North Pole.

Norwegian Ambassador MMay-Elin Stener appreciated the enhanced cooperation and guidance provided by Dr. Singh and noted, “Norway has technology, and India has scalability.” She proposed strengthening ties in science and technology, alongside ongoing marine and polar studies. Stener also recalled their Prime Minister’s remarks on India and Norway being neighbors in Antarctica in terms of scientific research and the establishment of research facilities.

Dr. Singh highlighted the Earth Sciences Ministry’s support for the Indo-Norwegian Fellowship Program, which enabled three students to work on Arctic and Antarctic Glaciology, funded by the Government. He also mentioned the MoU signed between the National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR) and the Norwegian Polar Institute (NPI) for close collaboration in various fields of polar sciences, signed during the 46th Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting held in Kochi.

The Minister recalled the jointly developed draft framework for Marine Spatial Planning (MSP) by India and Norway. He expressed optimism about the upcoming UN Conference on Oceans (UNOC-3) in Nice, France, in 2025, looking forward to further strengthening the Indo-Norwegian collaboration in marine and oceanic studies.