Smart Freight Centre appoints Capt. Prashant S. Widge as Director Maritime & Executive Director India
NEW DELHI: Smart Freight Centre (SFC) has announced the appointment of Captain Prashant S. Widge as Director Maritime & Executive Director India. In this dual leadership role, Capt. Widge will lead SFC’s strategic expansion in India while overseeing and scaling its global maritime workstream.
Capt. Widge brings over 25 years of sea-to-boardroom experience across the maritime, shipping, logistics and sustainability ecosystem, spanning seafaring command, enterprise leadership, policy engagement and large-scale transformation. He joins Smart Freight Centre from A.P. Møller – Maersk, where he most recently served as Head of ESG, Public & Regulatory Affairs, South Asia, and as the company’s principal representative in the region.
At Smart Freight Centre, Capt. Widge will be responsible for shaping the next phase of SFC India’s growth and impact, aligned with SFC’s global strategy and priorities. His mandate includes defining and delivering the strategic roadmap for SFC’s global maritime portfolio; advancing zero-emission freight adoption; strengthening emissions accounting and data-driven decarbonisation; developing scalable finance and market interventions; and building robust public – private partnerships across maritime, aviation and multimodal freight.
Prof. Dr. Ing. Christoph Wolff, CEO of Smart Freight Centre, said:
“We are delighted to welcome Capt. Prashant to Smart Freight Centre. His maritime expertise and proven leadership at the intersection of sustainability, policy and complex stakeholder systems significantly strengthen our global capability. His deep understanding of India’s freight, regulatory and industrial landscape will be instrumental in accelerating SFC India’s impact and positioning the country as a leader in zero-emission freight pathways.”
Capt. Prashant pioneered Maersk’s global ship recycling program from policy to execution, co-conceived the Ship Recycling Transparency Initiative (SRTI), and represented the company in the Climate Group’s Steel Zero Initiative. He drove global decarbonisation efforts with the IMO, EU, and industry coalitions, advanced green-fuel origination with governments and suppliers, and, as Group Representative for South Asia, built Maersk’s public and regulatory affairs function, elevated India’s strategic profile through the India Growth Council, and co-founded IN-DK Green Transition and IN-EU aggregator partnerships.
Capt. Prashant S. Widge, Director Maritime & Executive Director India
“Smart Freight Centre occupies a uniquely credible position in the global freight ecosystem, translating data, standards and collaboration into real-world emissions reduction. As freight decarbonisation moves from ambition to execution, my focus will be on building scalable, outcome-oriented programmes that align policy intent, industry readiness and investment confidence.
I look forward to working with governments, industry leaders and ecosystem partners to accelerate zero-emission freight across road, maritime, aviation and multimodal supply chains.”
About Smart Freight Centre
Smart Freight Centre (SFC) is a global non-profit advancing climate action in the freight sector. Since launching its India program in May 2023, SFC has worked closely with NITI Aayog’s e-FAST initiative to promote freight electrification and reduce emissions. Under its Pilots to Pathways: SFC Corridor Initiative, Smart Freight Centre is advancing the scaled deployment of Zero-Emission Trucks (ZET) along key freight corridors. The initiative brings together shippers, charge point operators, regulators, and policymakers to aggregate demand, plan renewable-powered charging infrastructure, and mobilize ecosystem-wide implementation.
