SBI Ventures Anchors India’s ₹20K-Cr Maritime Fund

The Government of India has selected SBI Ventures (formerly SBICAP Ventures) to manage the ₹20,000-crore Maritime Investment Fund (MIF).

Chosen through a competitive bidding process, SBI Ventures will be responsible for fundraising, fund structuring, and portfolio management for the initiative. The MIF forms a key part of the broader ₹25,000-crore Maritime Development Fund approved earlier by the Union Cabinet.

The fund will operate on a blended finance model aimed at providing long-term, accessible, and affordable capital to India’s maritime sector. The Union government will contribute 49 per cent of the corpus, amounting to ₹9,800 crore, through budgetary support routed via Sagarmala Finance Corporation. The remaining 51 per cent will be mobilised from private and commercial investors, sovereign wealth funds, institutional investors, and public sector undertakings.

The investment strategy will prioritise projects of national and strategic importance, including shipbuilding, specialised shipbuilding clusters, ship repair services, ship ownership, and port expansion projects. The fund will also support inland water transport, coastal shipping networks, and international shipping ventures.

SBI Ventures, a wholly owned subsidiary of State Bank of India, currently manages assets worth approximately ₹30,000 crore. The mandate is expected to play a significant role in strengthening financing support for India’s port and shipping infrastructure ecosystem.

News by Rahul Yelligetti.