India tops vote as it wins re-election to International Maritime Organisation Council

India has been re-elected to the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) Council with the highest vote in its category at elections held at the IMO Assembly in London on Friday for the 2025–26 biennium.

India retained its seat in Category B, which comprises 10 states with “the largest interest in international seaborne trade,” alongside Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The IMO said the newly elected Council will convene for its 136th session on December 4 to elect its Chair and Vice-Chair for the next biennium.

“India re-elected to the IMO Council securing the highest vote in Category B with 154 votes,” the Indian High Commission in London announced. “We thank our partners for putting their trust in India, and pledge to continue to work for the global maritime sector,” the mission stated.

The IMO is the main body overseeing the world’s maritime sector, which underpins international trade, transport and maritime activities. The Council acts as the organisation’s executive organ and is responsible, under the Assembly, for supervising IMO’s work.

India launched its candidature for re-election in July, when the Secretary at the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways outlined plans to invest USD 1 trillion in the maritime sector over the next 25 years. T K Ramachandran invited global representatives to “partner with India in this quest for us to become one of the leading maritime nations in the world.”

“India embraces the philosophy of ‘One Earth, One Family, One Future,’ and we bring this vision to life through fostering robust and collaborative maritime efforts,” he had said. Under Vision 2047, he noted, maritime growth is seen as a driver of global progress, supported by multiple pillars including shipbuilding, ship recycling, ship financing, ship ownership and ship flagging.

The IMO Assembly meets every two years to approve the organisation’s work programme, vote on the budget and determine financial arrangements. It also elects the 40-member Council for the next two-year term.

(With inputs from agencies)