(Commonwealth Shipping) India is making significant strides toward becoming a global maritime leader by 2030, as part of its broader ambition to emerge as the world’s third-largest economy in the near future. T.K. Ramachandran, Secretary of Shipping, Port, and Waterways, recently highlighted the country’s efforts to build ships and develop all necessary infrastructure to support its maritime ambitions. India is actively working to create a robust ecosystem to transform itself into a hub for the full range of shipping industry services, such as shipbuilding, repair, flagging, and arbitration, with the goal of reducing reliance on foreign entities.
The V.O. Chidambaranar (VOC) Port Authority in Thoothukudi, Tamil Nadu recently converted the port’s 9th berth into the Tuticorin International Container Terminal and dedicated it to the nation. Union Minister for Ports, Shipping, and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal flagged off the first container vessel from the newly revamped terminal. The vessel, Rio Grande Express, set off for Valencia, Spain. This terminal, part of India’s larger strategy to enhance its maritime infrastructure, has been developed at a cost of ₹434.17 crore through a 30-year concession agreement with J.M. Baxi Ports and Logistics.
The maritime sector is considered a critical driver of India’s long-term vision to become a $55 trillion economy by 2047. Over the next 25 years, the government plans to invest more than ₹80 lakh crore in the development of ports and other allied infrastructure. The government is exploring and building new major and minor ports to enhance the nation’s shipping capacity. One such major port is under development at Vadhvan in Maharashtra, which will be a deep-draft port capable of handling large container, bulk, and crude vessels.
Additionally, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands are planning a major seaport that, upon completion, will have the capacity to handle 16 million containers annually. The first phase of this project, slated for commissioning by 2028, will cost ₹18,000 crore and initially handle 4 million containers per year. Ramachandran believes these investments will establish India as one of the world’s elite maritime nations.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during the event at VOC Port, praised the timely completion of the container terminal project in a video message. Completed ahead of its 12-month schedule, the terminal boasts a 300-meter berth with a draft depth of 14.20 meters, catering to larger container vessels. This new facility, with a workforce of 40% women, will allow VOC Port to handle 600,000 containers annually. Once the outer harbour development, with an estimated cost of ₹7,000 crore, is completed, the port’s capacity will expand to handle up to 6 million containers per year, making it a crucial hub for mother vessels.
One of the key advantages of the new terminal at VOC Port is its ability to provide direct mainline connectivity for exporters, eliminating the need for transshipment through foreign ports. This will result in significant savings for exporters, who would otherwise spend an additional ₹16,500 per container on transshipment costs. Sonowal, who inaugurated several new projects at VOC Port and laid the foundation for additional schemes, noted that these developments would greatly benefit India’s exporters by providing them with more efficient shipping solutions.
In addition to the infrastructural advancements, India is receiving strong cooperation from coastal states such as Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Maharashtra, and Tamil Nadu, all of which are working in tandem with the Union Government to modernise the maritime sector. These efforts are helping to ensure that the country meets its 2030 goal of becoming a global leader in the shipping industry.
