Branded as MAR-a-THON 2025, the event forms part of the Sagarmala Start-up Innovation Initiative (S2I2), and will serve as a curtain-raiser to India Maritime Week 2025, scheduled to take place in Mumbai from October 27 to 31.
India has launched a first-of-its-kind maritime hackathon to accelerate research, innovation and entrepreneurship in the ports and shipping sector. The initiative was unveiled on Monday at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT)-Madras, one of the country’s premier engineering institutions.
Spearheaded by the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW), the hackathon is being organised in collaboration with the National Technology Centre for Ports, Waterways & Coasts (NTCPWC), IIT-Madras, the National Maritime Complex (NMC) and Chennai Port Authority (ChPA).
Branded as MAR-a-THON 2025, the event is part of the Sagarmala Start-up Innovation Initiative (S2I2) and will serve as a curtain-raiser to India Maritime Week 2025, scheduled to take place in Mumbai from October 27-31.
Delivering the inaugural address, MoPSW Secretary TK Ramachandran highlighted the importance of technology-led growth and called for stronger linkages between research institutions and industry.
“Initiatives such as MAR-a-THON will act as catalysts in identifying industry challenges and supporting scalable, innovative solutions aligned with the vision of Maritime AmritKaal 2047,” he stated.
A workshop held alongside the launch featured the release of the official hackathon video, website and brochure, as well as the unveiling of the innovation challenges and timeline for MAR-a-THON 2025.
Startups can apply between August 25 and September 29, with the hackathon scheduled for October 16-18 at the IIT-Madras campus. Selected startups will be felicitated and sign partnership agreements during India Maritime Week 2025 in Mumbai.
To support scale-up, the initiative offers milestone-based funding, including up to ₹1 million for proof of concept, up to ₹6 million in seed funding and up to ₹10 million as a technology pilot grant.