Chennai, Nov 4 (PTI) Union Minister of Ports, Shipping & Waterways and Ayush Sarbananda Sonowal on Friday announced multiple initiatives to unlock the potential of the blue economy of the Indian Ocean.He inaugurated the Indian Maritime University"s (IMU) centre for policy research in maritime studies (C-PRiMeS) at the seventh convocation of the IMU here. The C-PRiMeS would undertake maritime studies and be a thinktank for developing marine economy.“As India works through the Amrit Kaal to become an Atmanirbhar Bharat, the role of blue economy in propelling the growth story of India is immense. Under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Ministry is working to strengthen the coastal economy of the country through its Sagarmala programme," Sonowal said.As steps are on to improve the infrastructure, one must equip oneself to use the opportunity as ocean-based blue economy is the next sunrise sector for development, he said."Apart from traditional sectors like shipping, offshore mineral exploration, fishing, undersea cable and tourism, we must equip our economy to take the best advantage from the upcoming sectors like aqua culture, marine biotechnology, ocean energy and seabed mining, among others. This can be done only through training our talent pool with the best possible knowledge and training on modern marine technologies which is being made possible here at IMU," Sonowal said.He exuded confidence that the students and cadets would be equipped with the best possible training so that the objective of marine economy-led growth can be unlocked.A project worth Rs 21.94 lakh awarded to IMU by Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) to develop energy-efficient river survey drifter drone (autonomous survey craft) on self-propulsion model (SPM) is among the achievements of IMU in the recent years, the Minister said. He added that the Tamil Nadu government has sanctioned a Rs 57.50-lakh project for offshore reconnaissance survey of Sangam-age Korkai port.Earlier, Sonowal awarded gold and silver medals to students from various disciplines at the convocation. As many as 401 students were awarded doctoral degrees, postgraduate degrees and diplomas while about 3,179 students received their degrees virtually. Union Minister of State for Ports, Shipping & Waterways and Tourism Shripad Naik, and Vice-Chancellor of IMU Malini V Shankar spoke. PTI JSP NVG NVG