Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal on Friday reaffirmed the Centre’s commitment to modernising and developing all ports across India. He was speaking in Mangaluru after launching 20 development projects worth ₹1,500 crore as part of the Golden Jubilee celebrations of the New Mangalore Port Authority (NMPA).
Sonowal said the capacity of major ports had grown significantly through digitalisation and modernisation initiatives. Citing New Mangalore Port’s progress, he noted that the facility, which once handled just 90,000 tonnes of cargo, now manages 46 million tonnes annually.
Union Minister for Renewable Energy Pralhad Joshi, addressing the gathering, said India had emerged as the world’s fourth-largest economic power and was undergoing a transformative shift aligned with the vision of Viksit Bharat. Sonowal added that the port’s milestone reflected the nation’s larger maritime ambitions under the Maritime India Vision 2030 and Maritime Amrit Kaal Vision 2047, which aim to strengthen ports, logistics, inland waterways, cruise tourism and green shipping. He highlighted that MoUs worth over ₹12 lakh crore were signed during India Maritime Week 2025, including ₹52,000 crore by NMPA.
Focus on Maritime Education
The Minister inaugurated the renovated Mangalore Marine College and Technology (MMCT) campus, calling it an important addition to India’s maritime training ecosystem. He also opened the new ₹9.51-crore Mercantile Marine Department office building, which will conduct competency exams for seafarers from Karnataka and neighbouring states.
Sonowal lauded MMCT’s collaboration with Mediterranean Shipping Company—operator of over 900 vessels and employer of 18,000 Indian seafarers—saying it ensured world-class training aligned with global industry standards.
Tracing NMPA’s journey since 1975, he noted that the port had expanded from four berths to 16, along with a Single Point Mooring facility, increasing its cargo handling capacity to 74 million tonnes with a target of 100 million tonnes by 2047. The port is now India’s largest exporter of coffee and the second-largest importer of LPG. Mechanisation levels have reached 92%, improving efficiency, safety and ease of doing business.
Sustainable and Community-Centric Growth
Highlighting the port’s commitment to sustainability, Sonowal said NMPA had switched to 100% solar power, adopted digital systems to reduce environmental impact, and implemented the Harit Cargo Concession Policy to promote green logistics. He also inaugurated a 150-bed multi-specialty hospital built under a PPP model—the first of its kind among major ports—which will benefit both port employees and residents under Ayushman Bharat.
Karnataka, he said, plays a vital role in India’s maritime growth, with 32 Sagarmala projects worth ₹6,526 crore under implementation and eight more worth ₹420.89 crore in the pipeline. He added that more than 960 acres had been allocated for port-led industries expected to attract ₹68,000 crore in investment and generate ₹7,500 crore annually.
The Minister also pointed to India’s rising prominence in the global seafaring workforce. The number of Indian seafarers has grown from 1.08 lakh in 2014 to over 3.2 lakh today, making India the world’s third-largest seafaring nation. “By 2030, one in every five global seafarers will be an Indian,” he said, urging global shipping firms to register vessels under the Indian flag and provide more shipboard training to Indian cadets.
Sector-Wide Improvements
Sonowal highlighted major gains across the maritime sector, including a reduction in vessel turnaround time from four days to less than one day, a 700% increase in inland cargo movement, a 200% rise in coastal shipping, and growth in cruise tourism from 84,000 passengers in 2014 to nearly 5 lakh. India’s total port capacity, he said, had risen from 1,400 MTPA to 2,700 MTPA. He also mentioned progress on the ₹76,000-crore Vadhvan Port Project and initiatives to introduce hydrogen hubs and green shipping guidelines.
The Golden Jubilee event was attended by Pralhad Joshi, Brijesh Chowta, Nalin Kumar Kateel, Dr. Bharath Shetty, D. Vedavyasa Kamath, Shyam Jagannathan, Dr. Venkata Raman Akkaraju, S. Shanthi and other dignitaries.
At the MMCT ceremony, attendees included Sushil Khopde, Capt. M. P. Bhasin, Vanitha and S. I. Nathan.
