India is rapidly flexing its maritime capacity to keep cargo movement at par with growing exim trade. Given the addition of new ports and the rapid pace of expansion underway, the country is looking at a nearly 300% increase in cargo handling capacity at ports by 2047.
“The country’s total port capacity will increase from the existing 2,600 MTPA (million tonnes per annum) to more than 10,000 MTPA in 2047,” Sarbananda Sonowal, Union Minister for Ports, Shipping & Waterways (MoPSW) said at the 19th Maritime States Development Council meeting in Kevadia, Gujarat.
Referring to the impressive 16 per cent YoY growth witnessed in cargo movement through inland waterways, Sonowal said the government was now aiming to substantially increase it to 500 MTPA by 2047.
Under the enhancements proposed under the Amrit Kaal Vision – the period until the 2047 centennial to mark the end of colonial rule – master plans were being finalised by all the major ports as well as state governments, said Sonowal.
In another important announcement made at the forum, Sonowal said the government would soon be constituting a bureau of port security to upgrade and regulate the security of the country’s port assets.
Green hydrogen hubs at ports
Highlighting sustainable development, he said MoPSW planned to develop green hydrogen hubs at all central and state-government-owned ports.
“All central government and state government ports will explore the possibility of creating hydrogen hubs.”
Deendayal Port Authority in Kandla (Gujarat) had already inked MoUs worth Rs 1.68 lakh crore in this regard, he added.
Calling the sector, a catalyser of economic growth, Sonowal said the role of private players was being progressively enlarged, with public-private partnership (PPP) terminals currently handling about 50 per cent of the cargo at major ports. Efforts were underway to raise their share to approximately 85 per cent over the next few decades. Mentioning the SagarMala Programme to expand the logistics sector, the minister noted that the initiative had significantly enhanced port capacity, connectivity and operational efficiency to reduce costs, shortening vessel turnaround time, accommodating larger ships and elevating the strategic relevance of Indian ports in the South Asia region.
