The Centre is supporting a proposed ₹30,000-crore greenfield shipbuilding cluster at Dugarajapatnam in Andhra Pradesh, aimed at strengthening India’s domestic shipbuilding and ship-repair capabilities and positioning the state as a major maritime and logistics hub.
Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal announced the Centre’s support while addressing the 31st CII Partnership Summit in Visakhapatnam on Thursday. He highlighted Andhra Pradesh’s strategic advantages, including its 1,053-km coastline along the Bay of Bengal and proximity to major international shipping routes.
The proposed Dugarajapatnam shipbuilding cluster has received in-principle approval under the National Shipbuilding Mission. With a planned annual capacity of 1.2 million gross tonnes, the facility is expected to significantly enhance India’s shipbuilding and ship-repair infrastructure.
A special-purpose vehicle involving the Andhra Pradesh Maritime Board and Visakhapatnam Port Authority has been established to advance the project.
Highlighting the state’s growing maritime infrastructure, Sonowal said Visakhapatnam Port handled a record 91.17 million tonnes of cargo during 2025–26, registering nearly 10 per cent growth for the fourth consecutive year. Development projects worth around ₹600 crore are underway at the port to expand capacity, improve operational efficiency, strengthen ease of doing business and generate employment.
The minister also pointed to four greenfield ports under construction at Mulapeta, Machilipatnam, Ramayapatnam and Kakinada. These projects are expected to increase Andhra Pradesh’s overall cargo-handling capacity and strengthen its contribution to India’s maritime economy.
Referring to the Centre’s flagship initiatives, including Sagarmala, Maritime India Vision 2030 and Maritime Amrit Kaal Vision 2047, Sonowal said India’s maritime sector is expected to attract investments of approximately ₹80 lakh crore in the coming years.
He emphasised that Andhra Pradesh has considerable potential to emerge as a leading maritime and logistics hub under the leadership of Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu.
Inviting global investors to participate in the state’s maritime development, Sonowal identified port-led industrialisation, shipbuilding, ship-repair infrastructure and multimodal connectivity as key priorities.
The proposed Dugarajapatnam cluster, alongside the expansion of Visakhapatnam Port and development of four new greenfield ports, is expected to strengthen Andhra Pradesh’s position as India’s eastern maritime gateway while creating new opportunities in shipbuilding, maritime manufacturing, logistics and international trade.