Background
Gujarat Maritime University (GMU), based in Gandhinagar, Gujarat, entered a tripartite partnership with Maersk Training and APM Terminals Pipavav following an MoU signed at the Vibrant Gujarat Summit in January 2024. The collaboration was designed to align with India's Skill India Mission and Maritime India Vision 2030.
The deployment
The Future Leaders Foundation Programme is a five-day intensive course for postgraduate students of Maritime Management and Maritime Law. Now in its third annual edition (2026), the programme uses Maersk Training's award-winning VR platform — recognised at the Economic Times Future Skills Awards for Best Use of AI/AR/VR in Learning and Upskilling — to provide immersive first-person exposure to maritime environments. VR scenarios cover:
- Life at sea and onboard operations
- Major waterways including the Panama, Suez, and Corinth canals
- Critical chokepoints: Gibraltar, Malacca, and Hormuz straits
- Container freight stations, warehouses, and cold storage facilities
- Port operations, fire hazard management, and maritime piracy response
The curriculum also covers key regulatory frameworks — ISPS Code, MARPOL, SOLAS, and ISM Code — alongside supply chain management using the Farm to Fridge VR case study, and sessions on crisis management, communication, and team building.
VR Lab construction
During the 2026 valedictory ceremony, GMU formally commenced construction of a dedicated VR Lab. Planned as India's first immersive learning hub for the maritime, logistics, and heavy industry sectors, the facility will operate as a Virtual Reality Centre of Excellence (VR CoE) backed by Maersk's global training network, with connections to CoE locations in Japan, Saudi Arabia, the United States, and Taiwan.
Scale and outcomes
The second edition (May 2025) trained 36 postgraduate students over five days. The programme has run annually since 2024 and is described by organisers as an industry-first immersive learning experience for maritime fundamentals, technical knowledge, standardisation, sustainability, and job readiness.
