The turnaround time at Indian ports has fallen to less than a day, Union Ports, Shipping, and Waterways Minister Sarbananda Sonowal said Thursday. Speaking at the Maritime Financing Summit 2025, the minister said India, as a maritime nation, is undergoing a transformative shift backed by policy support and rising investment momentum.
“Our ports have significantly improved operational efficiency, with the average turnaround time reduced from 4 days to less than 1 day, outperforming many advanced nations,” he said while adding container handling capacity at major ports has grown by over 70%, and cargo volumes through coastal and inland waterways have multiplied.
Sonowal said the goal is to make India a global maritime hub not just in trade, but also in finance, shipbuilding and green maritime infrastructure.
An official statement said policy measures for supporting the domestic shipping sector were deliberated during the conference. These included recognising large vessels as infrastructure assets, extending the Shipbuilding Financial Assistance Scheme (SBFAS) to overcome the cost disadvantage, providing long-term visibility on the financial incentives available in the sector, and enabling ship leasing through GIFT City IFSC.
