The Secretary-General of the International Seabed Authority (ISA), H.E. Mr. Michael W. Lodge, and the Assistant Secretary General and Coordinator of the International Division of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), Dr. Gunveena Chadha, signed a letter of cooperation to foster the relationship of the two institutions on strategic areas of mutual interests.

Established in 1927, FICCI provides a platform for networking and consensus building within and across sectors and is the first port of call for Indian industry, policy makers and international business community. As such, FICCI serves as the main platform for discussions amongst India’s business and industry the government, and the civil society. Its members cover Indian private and public corporate sectors and multinational companies, drawing inputs from diverse regional chambers of commerce and industry across the country, reaching out to over 2,500,000 companies.

The new partnership formalized through the signing of this letter of cooperation, intends to promote inclusive policy dialogue among all stakeholders, including the Indian and international business community. Particular emphasis will be placed on creating synergies between the role and mandate of ISA and the Deep Ocean Mission’s strategic objectives identified under India’s Blue Economy Policy framework, through the development and implementation of tailored capacity development and technology transfer activities, as well as awareness raising activities on the role and responsibility of ISA as assigned by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

“I welcome this new partnership with FICCI which will contribute significantly to foster dialogue amongst all relevant stakeholders on the importance of the work of ISA in relation and responsible management of seabed mineral resources in the context of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development,” highlighted Secretary-General Lodge.

“The leadership of many Indian technology developers and providers at the global level is a fantastic opportunity to bolster exchange and learn from high skilled entrepreneurs and experts. I am also particularly excited by the prospects that such new partnership will offer to support our efforts to advance women’s empowerment in all disciplines involved in the activities that may be carried out in the Area,” he added.

Commenting on the partnerships established with ISA, Dr. Gunveena Chadha, Assistant General Secretary of FICCI, emphasized that: “As India’s apex industry chamber, FICCI has been working closely with the Government of India on its blue economy policy. Therefore, FICCI is extremely proud and privileged to cooperate with the ISA Secretariat to develop knowledge workshops and capacity-building initiatives for the Indian industry that will help to expand the scope and potential of the blue economy in India.”