Union Minister for Ports, Shipping & Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal chaired a high-level review meeting with senior officials of the Ministry of Ports, Shipping & Waterways (MoPSW), outlining a comprehensive reform-oriented roadmap to accelerate India’s maritime transformation in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of “Viksit Bharat 2047.”
The meeting focused on strengthening governance, improving ease of doing business (EODB), enhancing digital integration, ensuring effective grievance redressal and accelerating the time-bound implementation of key maritime initiatives through a structured and accountable institutional mechanism.
As part of the Ministry’s reform agenda, Sonowal announced the launch of a nationwide “Maritime Reform Utsav” to commemorate 12 years of maritime reforms and growth under the Modi government. The initiative will highlight India’s achievements in ports, shipping, inland waterways, coastal infrastructure, green shipping, digitalisation and maritime connectivity, showcasing the country’s emergence as a leading global maritime nation.
“Under the dynamic leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji, India’s maritime sector has undergone unprecedented transformation through the mantra of ‘Reform, Perform, Transform and Inform’. The Maritime Reform Utsav will celebrate the journey of India becoming a modern, efficient and globally competitive maritime power,” Sonowal said.
The Union Minister directed officials to establish a structured and time-bound mechanism for expeditious disposal of grievances, court cases, legal matters and pending ministry-related issues. A dedicated monitoring and coordination committee will be constituted to conduct periodic reviews, ensure accountability and facilitate timely resolution of all pending matters.
Emphasising citizen-centric governance, Sonowal stressed that grievance redressal systems should focus on actual ground-level resolution rather than merely procedural disposal. He instructed departments to strengthen monitoring frameworks and ensure effective follow-up on stakeholder concerns and public representations.
In a major push for digital governance and EODB, the Ministry also decided to develop an integrated digital platform and mobile application under the Directorate General of Shipping. The platform will provide stakeholders with real-time service delivery, digital documentation, grievance redressal and integrated maritime services through a unified digital ecosystem.
The meeting further resolved to undertake a comprehensive review and gap analysis of the progress achieved in the maritime sector over the past 12 years. The exercise will assess ongoing reforms and infrastructure development aligned with the “Viksit Bharat 2047” vision while identifying priority areas requiring accelerated policy intervention, institutional strengthening and capacity enhancement.
Sonowal also stressed the importance of stronger coordination among ministries, state governments, port authorities, maritime institutions and industry stakeholders to ensure faster decision-making and smoother implementation of major maritime and logistics projects. He directed officials to enhance inter-ministerial coordination and institutional consultation mechanisms for improved policy execution and monitoring.
Highlighting the importance of collaborative governance, the Minister called for greater participation of industry representatives, state governments, port authorities and allied stakeholders in consultative meetings to improve transparency, knowledge-sharing and sectoral coordination.
Recognising the evolving needs of the maritime sector, Sonowal directed departments to strengthen skill development, capacity building and specialised maritime training programmes, particularly in digital governance, logistics integration, data management and emerging maritime technologies.
The meeting also focused extensively on leveraging Artificial Intelligence, digital systems and data-driven governance to improve operational efficiency, transparency and service delivery across the maritime sector. Officials were instructed to accelerate technological integration and strengthen institutional data-sharing mechanisms for better monitoring and policy outcomes.
To ensure accountability and timely execution, Sonowal directed all departments to conduct periodic review meetings with measurable, outcome-based targets. He emphasised that every ministry initiative must be monitored through clearly defined timelines, performance indicators and continuous assessment mechanisms.
The Union Minister also called for significantly strengthening stakeholder outreach and media engagement efforts to promote wider dissemination of the Ministry’s achievements, reforms and opportunities. He encouraged the use of innovative communication strategies including digital campaigns, reels, graphics, short videos and institutional outreach programmes to engage wider audiences, especially youth.
“India’s maritime transformation under the dynamic leadership of PM Narendra Modi ji must reach the people. Our reforms, opportunities and achievements should be communicated effectively through both traditional and digital platforms so that young Indians see the maritime sector as a dynamic avenue for nation-building and employment generation,” Sonowal said.
Further, Sonowal directed the constitution of a dedicated monitoring and coordination committee to oversee the implementation of outcomes and strategic initiatives arising from the Prime Minister’s recent five-day, five-nation visit. The committee will ensure timely implementation, inter-agency coordination and strict adherence to timelines for all key deliverables.
Reiterating the Ministry’s commitment to governance reforms and efficient public service delivery, Sonowal instructed all divisions to identify implementation bottlenecks and strengthen systems under the framework of “Reform, Perform, Transform and Inform.”
He concluded by emphasising that the Ministry of Ports, Shipping & Waterways must continue to function with a proactive, accountable and reform-oriented work culture aligned with the Prime Minister’s vision of good governance, maritime growth and inclusive national development.
