Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Sarbananda Sonowal, announced that ship-building and ship repair clusters will be set up in five states, including Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, and Maharashtra. This initiative recognises the strategic importance of the shipbuilding industry and aims to foster dedicated clusters in Maharashtra, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, and Gujarat. Sonowal highlighted these plans as part of his ministry's achievements during the first 100 days of the NDA government's third term.

The ministry projects that container handling capacity will reach 40 million TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units) over the next five years, creating approximately 2 million job opportunities nationwide. The Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority (JNPA) is set to increase its handling capacity from 6.6 million TEUs to 10 million.

Additionally, Sonowal stated that 3,900 acres of land has been allocated at Deendayal Port Authority (DPA) and V.O. Chidambaranar Port Trust (VoCPA) for hydrogen manufacturing hubs, which are expected to attract investments exceeding Rs 5 trillion in the coming years. He also mentioned that JNPA is poised to become the first Indian port to achieve a container handling capacity of 10 million TEUs in the near future.

Sonowal highlighted the significance of the International Container Transshipment Port (ICTP) at Galathea Bay, Great Nicobar Island, which will function as a major transshipment hub. He remarked on the establishment of Vadhvan Port, marking a significant milestone in India's maritime development, alongside the recent notification of Galathea Bay as a major port. Vadhvan Port, India's first major port project of the 21st century, is expected to be one of the largest all-weather deep-water ports with a capacity of 298 MMTPA. This mega port is anticipated to create 1.2 million jobs and position an Indian port among the top 10 container ports globally, enhancing international shipping connectivity while reducing transit times and costs.

(Business Standard)