The Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority (JNPA) alone will scale up its handling capacity from 6.6 million TEUs now to 10 million TEUs, he said while presenting an overview of the significant milestones achieved by his ministry during the first 100 days of the current dispensation.

The ministry is developing dedicated clusters in Maharashtra, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and Gujarat. It is also allocating more than 3,900 acres in Kandla and VO Chidambarnar ports for the development of hydrogen manufacturing hubs, a release from the ministry said.

The ‘Sagarmanthan: The Great Ocean Conference’ will be held in Mumbai this November, further emphasising India’s focus on ocean sustainability and blue economy growth, the minister said.

The Vadhvan Port is expected to create 1.2 million jobs and place an Indian port among the top 10 container ports globally, significantly improving international shipping connectivity and reducing transit times and costs, he said.

The Tuticorin International Container Terminal on the east coast will serve as a major transshipment hub, saving up to $200 per container and providing an estimated annual foreign exchange savings of $4 million, he added.

The ministry’s upcoming initiatives include the commencement of work on the International Container Transshipment Port (ICTP) at Galathea Bay, Great Nicobar Island, which will serve as a major transshipment hub.

The Shipbuilding Financial Assistance Policy will be expanded, along with the establishment of a Maritime Development Fund to boost domestic ship ownership.

The ministry will also enhance operational efficiency through digitalisation with the EBS portal (port operating system) going live at five major ports, reducing logistics costs and streamlining operations.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DS)