The Centre aims to transform India into a global maritime superpower by 2047, anchored by two “grand visions” of the Modi government — the Maritime India Vision 2030 and the Maritime Amrit Kaal Vision 2047, Union Minister of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal has said.
Unveiling the roadmap, Sonowal said the government plans to scale up investment in the maritime sector to ₹80 lakh crore under the Maritime Amrit Kaal Vision 2047, a move he claimed would generate millions of jobs. He added that previous governments had failed to provide the necessary vision to develop the sector. The minister highlighted the government’s legislative push, with five new laws designed to create a strong, business-friendly, environmentally aligned, and globally competitive framework for India’s maritime future.
He underscored the unprecedented support provided in the Union Budget to the maritime sector, including the ₹25,000-crore Maritime Development Fund, a new Shipbuilding Financial Assistance Policy, extension of the Tonnage Tax scheme to inland vessels, and customs duty exemptions on input materials for shipbuilding and shipbreaking. Infrastructure status for large ships and the development of shipbuilding clusters, he said, would propel the industry to new heights.
Speaking on the flagship Sagarmala Programme launched in 2015, Sonowal said around 840 projects worth nearly ₹5.8 lakh crore are currently under implementation until 2035. Work on the nation’s largest upcoming port at Vadhvan, with an estimated investment of ₹76,000 crore, is progressing steadily. The project and its adjoining township are expected to create about 12 lakh jobs. India’s ports have also emerged as global leaders in efficiency, with an average “Turn Around Time” of just 0.9 days — ahead of advanced maritime nations such as the US, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Germany, and Singapore. Nine Indian ports now rank among the world’s top 100.
Highlighting India’s green mission, the minister said cargo movement by inland waterways has risen sevenfold in the past decade, while coastal shipping volumes have grown by 150%. Initiatives such as the ‘Harit Sagar’ guidelines, the commissioning of a 1 MW green hydrogen plant at Deendayal Upadhyay Port in Kandla, and green hydrogen production at VoC Port, Tuticorin, are part of efforts to make India a leader in green shipping. Green methanol bunkering and refuelling facilities are also being established, he said, adding that India offers a unique combination of strategic location, strong policies, skilled manpower, and rising demand.
Sonowal urged maritime stakeholders to prepare for global challenges, including geopolitical uncertainties affecting supply chains, decarbonisation targets set by the International Maritime Organization (IMO), cyber threats to port IT systems, dependence on foreign shipping and financing, seafarer welfare, and sustainability imperatives tied to the blue economy.
