Ports and Shipping Minister Sarbananda Sonowal announced that the government is encouraging private sector participation to boost India’s maritime sector, with 52 public-private partnership (PPP) projects worth over ₹60,000 crore identified. The goal is to increase the share of private participation in major ports to 85% by 2030. Sonowal highlighted key projects such as the development of alternative trade corridors, a new greenfield port at Vadhavan in Maharashtra worth ₹10,000 crore, and the Nicobar port project with an outlay of ₹48,000 crore.
The minister also noted that the government’s capital expenditure for infrastructure has surged from ₹2.2 trillion in 2014 to ₹11.21 trillion in 2024. He mentioned that cargo movement by inland waterways has increased sevenfold and coastal shipping has grown by over 150% in the last decade. He concluded by stating that the government is focused on expanding port capacity, improving efficiency through digitization, and promoting green maritime initiatives.