Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal has said the government is targeting 85 per cent private participation in major ports by 2030. Speaking at the Business Standard Infrastructure Summit, he announced that 50 public-private partnership (PPP) projects worth over Rs 600 billion have already been identified, exceeding targets set under the National Monetisation Pipeline.

Among the upcoming projects, the greenfield port at Vadhavan in Maharashtra will be India’s largest by capacity, with an investment of Rs 760 billion. It will be developed in two phases, scheduled for completion in 2029 and 2037. Another major project, the Nicobar port, is planned at a cost of Rs 480 billion over the next decade.

Sonowal said alternative trade corridors such as the India-Middle East-Europe Corridor (IMEC) and the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC) are being developed to mitigate geopolitical risks. Over the past 11 years, cargo handling at India’s 12 major ports has nearly doubled, rising from 855 million tonnes to 1,690 million tonnes. Overall port capacity now stands at 2,600 million tonnes, with plans to increase this to 10,000 million tonnes by 2047.

He added that India aims to emerge as a global shipbuilding hub by 2030 and among the world’s top five shipbuilding nations by 2047. The Amrit Kaal Vision 2047 outlines investments worth Rs 80 trillion to modernise infrastructure, expand port capacity, improve operational efficiency through digitisation and automation, and promote green initiatives such as hydrogen hubs and coastal tourism.

The minister noted that five landmark legislations were introduced during the monsoon session of Parliament, including the Indian Ports Bill 2025, Merchant Shipping Bill 2025 and Coastal Shipping Bill 2025, to create a globally aligned and competitive legal framework for the maritime sector.

He further highlighted tax and financial reforms, such as the creation of a Maritime Development Fund with a corpus of Rs 250 billion, extension of the Tonnage Tax scheme to inland vessels, and exemptions on input material for shipbuilding and shipbreaking. These measures, he said, would strengthen the shipping ecosystem and attract greater investment.

On green shipping, Sonowal said the government has issued Harit Sagar guidelines and is setting up methanol and green hydrogen plants, enabling green fuel bunkering, and developing green corridors. Electric tugs are also being introduced, with tenders floated by six to seven major ports.

News source: Business Standard