6 months ago
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India aims to beryllium among the apical 5 ship-building countries and importantly summation the port-handling capableness by gathering caller mega ports, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said successful Mumbai connected Monday (October 27, 2025), adding that the proposed Great Nicobar project volition boost the country’s maritime planetary commercialized aggregate times.
He was speaking astatine the inauguration of the 4th variation of the India Maritime Week 2025.
The $5-billion Great Nicobar infrastructure project, which volition see a powerfulness plant, transshipment larboard and airport, has been criticised by activists and section population, citing biology concerns and usurpation of wood rights.
Strategic location
He said that the authorities plans to summation the country’s larboard handling capableness to 10,000 cardinal tonnes per annum (MTPA) from the contiguous 2,700 MTPA (major and non-major ports combined). India’s maritime spot was owed to its strategical location, helium said. “Our coastline of implicit 11,500 km is dispersed crossed 13 coastal States. Maritime concern contributes to 60 per cent of our GDP [Gross Domestic Product]. Today, implicit 100 countries are participating successful the India Maritime Week. We person 350 speakers, implicit 500 companies, implicit 1 lakh delegates and we expect an concern of ₹10 lakh crore,” helium said.
“India’s maritime spot lies successful practice and planetary partnership, profoundly rooted successful its affluent maritime tradition. We judge successful co-operation, alternatively than competition. India has a agelong maritime contented of 5,000 years,” helium said.
“There has been a 118 per cent summation successful coastal shipping successful the past 10 years. We person experienced 150 per cent maturation successful cargo handling. The turnaround clip is being reduced. We are reaching planetary standards successful it,” helium said.
Mr. Shah highlighted India’s increasing enactment successful the Indo-Pacific. “Leveraging its maritime position, antiauthoritarian stability, and naval capability, India is acting arsenic a span betwixt the Indo-Pacific and the Global South, fostering development, security, and biology progress,” helium said.
Logistics cost
Speaking astatine the event, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari said India would soon bring down the logistics outgo to azygous digit to 9 per cent. “It is the logistics outgo that drives the improvement and economical advancement of the country. We are inactive astatine 16 per cent against China and Europe’s 8 per cent and 12 per cent respectively,” helium said.
He besides emphasised connected the request for an innovative, simple, viable, businesslike and credible fiscal exemplary to rise superior for ship-building.
Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Sarbananda Sonowal, said 680 memoranda of knowing (MoUs) worthy ₹10 lakh crore were slated to beryllium signed during the India Maritime Week. “Over 85 nations and 355 planetary speakers volition beryllium portion of this event. By 2047, India volition beryllium 1 of the apical 5 ship-building nations successful the world. This is simply a watershed infinitesimal successful India’s maritime story. We volition acceptable the aboriginal of the country’s bluish economy,” helium said.
