MoPSW Convenes National Workshop with Coastal States to Drive Maritime Transformation under Amrit Kaal Vision 2047

The Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW) convened a National Consultative Workshop in New Delhi, bringing together officials from all coastal st...

What Happened

The Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW) convened a National Consultative Workshop in New Delhi, bringing together officials from all coastal states and union territories — including Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, and West Bengal.
The workshop aimed to align national priorities with state-level maritime initiatives under the Maritime Amrit Kaal Vision 2047, with a focus on port-led development, logistics efficiency, and digital and sustainable maritime practices.
Key policy instruments discussed include the One Nation One Port Process (ONOP), the Maritime Single Window (Sagar Setu), and the Indian Ports Act, 2025 — which replaced century-old colonial-era maritime law.
Non-major ports, which handle approximately 46% of India's total cargo volume, were identified as a critical focus area for investment and digital integration.
Coastal shipping was highlighted as a high-growth sector, having doubled cargo movement from 87 MMT to 165 MMT in recent years, and as a more fuel-efficient alternative to road and rail freight.

Static Topic Bridges

Maritime Amrit Kaal Vision 2047

Maritime Amrit Kaal Vision 2047 is India's long-range maritime blueprint formulated by MoPSW, targeting ₹80 lakh crore in maritime investments and the creation of 1.5 crore jobs by the centenary of independence. It builds on the earlier Maritime India Vision 2030 and encompasses ports, coastal shipping, inland waterways, shipbuilding, and green maritime practices. The vision was shaped through over 150 consultations and the analysis of 50 international benchmarks, yielding more than 300 actionable initiatives.

Target investment: ₹80 lakh crore by 2047
Employment target: 1.5 crore jobs by 2047
Covers: port infrastructure, coastal shipping, inland waterways, shipbuilding, green hydrogen bunkering, and methanol-fueled vessels
Builds on Sagarmala Programme (launched 2015) for port-led development

Connection to this news: The National Consultative Workshop is a direct implementation mechanism of the Vision 2047, using Centre-State coordination to translate national targets into state-level action plans.

Port-Led Development and Sagarmala Programme

Port-led development is a strategy that uses port infrastructure as a catalyst for industrial growth, logistics integration, and economic zones in the coastal hinterland. India's Sagarmala Programme (launched 2015) operationalized this concept by envisioning port modernisation, connectivity enhancement, port-led industrialisation, and coastal community development as four pillars. The model is aligned with global examples such as China's coastal development strategy and the Singapore port cluster.

India has 12 Major Ports (under central government) and over 200 non-major ports (under state governments)
Non-major ports handle ~46% of India's cargo
Sagarmala Programme identified over 400 projects across the four pillars
Indian Ports Act, 2025 established the Maritime State Development Council (MSDC) as a statutory body for Centre-State coordination and mandates National Perspective Plans for integrated port development

Connection to this news: The workshop operationalizes port-led development by aligning state governments — who govern non-major ports — with the national strategy, addressing the coordination gap that has historically limited non-major port efficiency.

Indian Ports Act, 2025

The Indian Ports Act, 2025 is landmark legislation that replaced the colonial-era Indian Ports Act, 1908, consolidating maritime governance for the 21st century. Passed by both Houses of Parliament in August 2025 and granted presidential assent on August 21, 2025, it is one of five major maritime legislative reforms. The Act establishes the Maritime State Development Council (MSDC) as a statutory consultative body, empowers states to create State Maritime Boards, and mandates compliance with international conventions such as MARPOL (marine pollution) and Ballast Water Management.

Replaced five colonial-era laws including the Indian Ports Act, 1908
Key reform: Establishes Maritime State Development Council (MSDC) for Centre-State coordination
Empowers coastal states to set up State Maritime Boards for uniform governance
Mandates compliance with MARPOL and other international environmental conventions
Sagar Setu (Maritime Single Window) onboarded all 12 major ports and 60+ non-major ports

Connection to this news: The workshop is among the first major Centre-State consultations held under the new legal framework, testing the MSDC's coordinating function in practice.

Coastal Shipping and Blue Economy

Coastal shipping refers to the movement of goods along a country's coastline using ships, as opposed to road or rail. It is significantly more fuel-efficient — moving one tonne of cargo per litre of fuel over a longer distance than road transport — making it a strategic tool for reducing logistics costs and carbon emissions. India's coastal shipping has doubled cargo volumes (87 MMT to 165 MMT), reflecting growing policy push. The Blue Economy encompasses all economic activities derived from ocean resources — shipping, fisheries, offshore energy, marine biotechnology, and maritime tourism — and is a priority sector in India's development policy.

Coastal shipping is 3–5 times more fuel-efficient per tonne-km than road transport
India's coastline: 7,516 km, with 1,382 islands
Coastal Shipping Act, 2025 is one of five new maritime laws
India aims to integrate coastal shipping with inland waterways under a multimodal logistics framework
Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) manages 111 National Waterways

Connection to this news: The workshop specifically emphasized coastal shipping expansion as a key deliverable of Vision 2047, with state-level buy-in critical for integrating coastal routes with state infrastructure.

Key Facts & Data

India has 12 Major Ports (central) and 200+ non-major ports (state-administered)
Non-major ports handle approximately 46% of India's total cargo
Coastal shipping cargo has grown from 87 MMT to 165 MMT
Maritime Amrit Kaal Vision 2047 targets ₹80 lakh crore in investments and 1.5 crore jobs
Sagar Setu (Maritime Single Window) is live at all 12 major ports and 60+ non-major ports
Indian Ports Act, 2025 received presidential assent on August 21, 2025
India's coastline spans 7,516 km with access to major international shipping lanes
Participating states/UTs: Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, West Bengal, Dadra & Nagar Haveli, Daman & Diu, Puducherry, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep