Advancing India’s green port agenda: The role of stakeholder engagement through structural equation modelling

Green port development has become a strategic need as the move to cleaner and more sustainable maritime operations proceeds, how stakeholders view and value such efforts is thus important, especially in developing maritime economies. It studies the relationship between familiarity and engagement (FE), perceived effectiveness (PE), perceived barriers and challenges (BC), and future orientation (FO) with the data of 621 respondents who represent port authorities, terminal operators, shipping companies, logistics providers, and regulatory bodies in India. A questionnaire with structure had been used and the data obtained were analysed using structural equation modelling which enables testing of the measurement validity as well as the structural hypotheses. The review showed that FE has a positive impact on PE and FO and reduces perceived barriers; BC, on the other hand, has a negative effect on PE and FO, indicating that the administrative, financial, and coordination barriers undermine the perceived sustainability actions and reduce long-term support. PE has a positive significant relationship with FO, which highlights the relevance of observable performance increases as a factor in maintaining stakeholder investment. The results contribute to the current body of knowledge about the perceptual and behavioural antecedents of green port adoption in emerging settings as well as contribute to practical implications on engagement strategy design, investment process, and governance frameworks that sustain the sustainability shifts in the Indian port.