Union minister Sarbananda Sonowal said the government is appraising a container scheme valued at Rs 100 billion (bn) aimed at expanding container infrastructure and modernising freight movement across ports and hinterland. The scheme is under appraisal by the ministry responsible for ports and shipping and is intended to attract public and private investment in container terminals, handling equipment and logistics corridors. Officials indicated that the appraisal seeks to align capacity additions with projected trade growth and to address current pinch points in warehousing and last mile connectivity.

The proposed scheme is designed to enhance containerisation by increasing throughput at major and minor ports and by improving multimodal connectivity with inland container depots and rail links. It is expected to support integrated freight solutions that could lower logistics costs and shorten transit times for exporters and importers. Planners are examining financing structures that combine central allocations, state contributions and private sector participation to achieve scalable implementation.

Components under consideration include development of greenfield and brownfield container terminals, augmentation of existing berths with modern handling equipment and investments in inland logistics facilities and coastal feeder services. Technical appraisal is focusing on project readiness, land availability, regulatory clearances and alignment with national modal shift objectives. Stakeholders are being consulted to calibrate project design to regional trade corridors and manufacturing clusters.

The ministry is conducting detailed assessments of economic viability and implementation timelines before moving to approvals and budgetary allocation. The minister indicated that the scheme aims to strengthen supply chain resilience and to make logistics more competitive for domestic industry. Further decisions on phasing and prioritisation will follow the completion of the appraisal process.