NIA to host International Marine Conclave on Dec 9-10

Pune: The National Insurance Academy (NIA) has announced the India Marine Conclave 2025, a two-day flagship meet on “Navigating The Waves of Change: Exploring Marine Insurance Frontiers,” to be held on 9–10 December at the NIA campus in Pune.

Talking to Bizz Buzz, BC Patnaik, NIA Director says, “NIA continues with its contribution in building up an economically resilient India.”

The conclave will bring together insurers, brokers, surveyors, risk managers of large corporates and key regulatory stakeholders to debate the future of India’s marine insurance market and chart an actionable roadmap for growth.

Despite India’s long coastline and a trade profile heavily dependent on maritime transport, marine insurance penetration in the country remains markedly low. While overall non-life insurance penetration is under 1 percent of GDP - well below global averages - the marine segment accounts for only a small share of this, leaving a substantial volume of goods and assets in transit under-insured. This protection gap is widening as India’s trade and logistics footprint expands.

The conclave will focus on four interlinked themes: low penetration, a rapidly changing risk landscape, adoption of global best practices and the need to keep pace with India’s infrastructure push. Sessions will examine how geopolitical tensions, climate change and technological disruption are reshaping maritime risk, and how Indian underwriters can build capacity and sophistication to respond. The event is positioned as a move from “discussion to action,” with a mandate to generate concrete industry initiatives.

Key issues on the agenda include geopolitics, technology and sustainability, with experts drawing on insights from global bodies such as the International Union of Marine Insurance (IUMI). Dedicated panels will explore digitalization and contract certainty, including the use of artificial intelligence for smarter underwriting, modernization of cargo certificates and clearer, more customized marine wordings. Specialized cargo risks - such as bulk commodities, pharmaceuticals, fire safety on container ships and the safe carriage of electric vehicles - will also receive focused attention.

The conclave is expected to support India’s wider maritime and infrastructure ambitions, including the Maritime India Vision 2030 and the government’s thrust on shipbuilding, port infrastructure and the development of a domestic Protection and Indemnity (P&I) ecosystem. By convening the full marine insurance value chain, the NIA-led initiative aims to drive higher cargo insurance penetration, strengthen the resilience of Indian shipping and trade to complex modern risks, and foster regulatory, underwriting and technological partnerships that can propel the domestic marine insurance market to sustained double-digit growth.