Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal on Monday announced that the Central Government will extend full support to the development of a shipping cluster at Dugarajapatnam in Andhra Pradesh.
Speaking to the media on-board Very Large Gas Carrier (VLGC) Shivalik, Sonowal said the Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the proposed cluster is nearing completion. Earlier, he flagged off Shivalik—the first Indian-flagged VLGC owned by the Shipping Corporation of India (SCI)—marking a major milestone in India’s maritime and energy sectors. The vessel, recently acquired and registered under the Indian flag, carried 82,000 cubic metres of LPG from Qatar and will deliver the cargo at Visakhapatnam and Haldia Ports.
Sonowal said the induction of Shivalik symbolizes a significant step towards strengthening India’s gas logistics capabilities and achieving the vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat in both the energy and shipping sectors.
Reiterating the Centre’s commitment to maritime growth, the Minister noted that Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu had earlier submitted a proposal to develop a state-of-the-art ship breaking and recycling facility at Dugarajapatnam at an estimated cost of ₹3,000 crore. The Visakhapatnam Port Authority (VPA) has already conducted the feasibility study for the project.
The proposed shipping cluster, spread across 2,000 acres, is expected to attract an overall investment of ₹26,000 crore, generating 5,000 direct and 30,000 indirect jobs. The initiative aligns with Naidu’s vision of establishing a port every 50 km to accelerate port-led economic development in the state.
Highlighting recent initiatives under the Atmanirbhar Bharat Mission, Sonowal said SCI has signed an MoU with IOCL, BPCL and HPCL to promote the ownership of 112 Indian-built and Indian-flagged ships. “This partnership will help save a significant portion of the ₹6 lakh crore spent annually in foreign exchange on chartering foreign vessels,” he said.
He further informed that tenders for India’s first made-in-India LPG tanker will be floated in the next 10 to 15 days, underscoring the government’s focus on indigenous shipbuilding.
Outlining the Ministry’s vision, Sonowal said the MoPSW has drawn up a roadmap to strengthen India’s shipping ecosystem, aiming to place the country among the top 10 maritime nations by 2030 and among the top 5 by 2047.
Describing the flagging off of Shivalik as a “big leap forward towards achieving Amritkaal and Viksit Bharat,” VPA Chairman Dr. M. Angamuthu said the occasion marked a proud moment for India’s maritime sector.
SCI CMD Capt. B.K. Tyagi said the partnership with oil companies would significantly boost India’s self-reliance in the transportation of petroleum products. He added that Shivalik, built in Korea, marks the beginning of SCI’s efforts to expand its fleet in a domain currently dominated by foreign vessels.
The event was attended by Vizag MP M. Sri Bharat, Visakhapatnam South MLA Vamsi Krishna Srinivas Yadav, and Capt. Bhaskar Tandon, Master Mariner of Shivalik.
