The Andhra Pradesh state government, under Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu, is taking significant steps to develop the maritime sector in the state. Minister for Roads and Buildings, Investments and Infrastructure, BC Janardhana Reddy, announced these initiatives at the fourth national Sagarmala Apex Committee meeting in New Delhi. The meeting was presided over by Union Minister for Shipping Sarbananda Sonowal, with participation from other Union Ministers and state representatives.
As part of the development plan, several ports, including Ramayapatnam, Machilipatnam, Kakinada, and Mulapeta, will be developed at a cost of ₹17,000 crore. Additionally, 10 fishing harbors will be developed at a cost of ₹3,520 crore. To address the shortage of skilled workers in the port sector, a skill development center will be established at Ramayapatnam port. The state government is also preparing a master plan for maritime waterways.
Minister Janardhana Reddy also presented a memorandum to the Union Minister for setting up a greenfield port and shipbuilding unit in the Bapatla district. [cite: 12] He also engaged in discussions with the Chief Ministers of Goa and Karnataka regarding port development.