New Delhi, Feb 19 (IANS) Artificial Intelligence (AI) can play a crucial role in strengthening India’s maritime management, disaster response systems, marine livelihoods and overall blue economy, experts said on Thursday.

The discussion took place during a panel session titled ‘AI for Oceans of Tomorrow: Data, Models and Governance’ at the India AI Impact Summit 2026 here.

According to the Ministry of Earth Sciences, Director General of Meteorology Dr. M. Mohapatra, in his keynote address, highlighted the vital role oceans play in climate regulation, disaster risk reduction, food security and livelihoods.

He underlined India’s strong national capabilities in ocean observation, cyclone forecasting, marine data systems and early warning services.

“Technological advancements have significantly reduced loss of life and property during extreme weather events,” he noted.

Dr. Mohapatra also stressed the importance of data-driven and AI-enabled models as a complement to traditional physical models, especially in addressing the growing impacts of climate change such as ocean warming, acidification and rising sea levels.

Addressing the session, Norway’s Ambassador to India, May-Elin Stener, highlighted the expanding India-Norway partnership in the areas of oceans and the blue economy.

She said that when AI is developed on open, interoperable and trustworthy digital foundations, it can significantly enhance fisheries management, shipping efficiency, port operations and coastal resilience.

Stener added that India’s leadership in digital public infrastructure positions it well to help build a global digital ocean framework based on open data, shared standards and responsible digital governance.

“Such a framework would benefit not only India but the global community as well,” she said.

Panelists noted that India is uniquely placed to lead the Global South by developing digital ocean infrastructure that integrates open data, AI-driven intelligence and robust governance frameworks.

They emphasised that AI will be essential for improving marine livelihoods, reducing operational costs and enabling timely, data-based decision-making across all sectors of the blue economy.

--IANS

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