Visakhapatnam Port Authority has dedicated its newly developed Port Promenade to the people of Visakhapatnam, marking a significant step towards opening up the port area to the city and strengthening public engagement with the maritime gateway.
Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal also laid the foundation stones for key port development projects worth ₹580 crore during his visit, aimed at enhancing operational efficiency, modernising infrastructure and strengthening the port’s sustainability initiatives.
The proposed projects will focus on mechanisation of berths, upgradation of green port infrastructure and other essential facilities, besides generating direct employment opportunities for hundreds of people.
Highlighting the port’s impressive performance, Sonowal said Visakhapatnam Port is now ranked 19th globally in the World Bank’s Container Port Performance Index and continues to be India’s fourth-busiest major port. Building on its record cargo throughput of 91.17 million tonnes in the previous financial year, the port has crossed the 50-million-tonne cargo handling milestone in just 196 days during the current fiscal year.
During the visit, the Minister also interacted with senior port officials, Heads of Departments and maritime stakeholders to review progress and discuss strategies for accelerating the implementation of the Maritime India Vision 2030 and Maritime Amrit Kaal Vision 2047.
The interaction focused on charting a strategic roadmap to transform Visakhapatnam Port into a globally competitive maritime hub on India’s East Coast.
Sonowal said the initiatives are aligned with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of inclusive development and the national objective of building a Viksit Bharat by 2047. The investments are expected to strengthen the port’s cargo-handling capabilities, improve environmental performance and enhance its contribution to India’s growing trade and logistics ecosystem.