IBNS-CMEDIA: Andhra Pradesh is poised to emerge as a globally competitive maritime and logistics hub, backed by major investments in port infrastructure, shipbuilding and ship repair, Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal said on Thursday.
Addressing the 31st CII Partnership Summit in Visakhapatnam, Sonowal highlighted the state’s strategic advantages, including its approximately 1,053-km coastline along the Bay of Bengal, access to key international shipping routes and proximity to major Asian manufacturing and trading economies.
He said these strengths position Andhra Pradesh to become India’s principal maritime gateway to ASEAN, East Asia and the wider Indo-Pacific region.
Sonowal credited the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the support of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu for creating favourable conditions to accelerate the state’s maritime ambitions. He said the Centre was committed to working closely with the state government, industry and global investors to unlock its potential.
“If Hyderabad became Cyberabad, Andhra Pradesh today has the opportunity to become India’s Maritime Gateway to the East,” Sonowal said, drawing a parallel between the state’s technology-led growth and the emerging opportunities in the maritime sector.
Highlighting recent infrastructure developments, the minister referred to the foundation stone laid on Wednesday for projects worth more than ₹560 crore at Visakhapatnam Port. The projects are expected to augment capacity, improve ease of doing business and generate employment opportunities.
Andhra Pradesh’s port infrastructure is also set for further expansion, with four major greenfield port projects under construction at Mulapeta, Machilipatnam, Ramayapatnam and Kakinada SEZ. These projects are expected to strengthen cargo-handling capacity and support industrial development across the state.
Identifying shipbuilding and ship repair as major growth opportunities, Sonowal highlighted the proposed greenfield shipbuilding cluster at Dugarajapatnam.
The project has received in-principle approval under the National Shipbuilding Mission and envisages an investment of approximately ₹30,000 crore, with a targeted annual capacity of 1.2 million gross tonnes.
A Centre-State special purpose vehicle (SPV), involving the Andhra Pradesh Maritime Board and Visakhapatnam Port Authority, has been formed to take the project forward. Sonowal invited global shipbuilders, technology companies, equipment manufacturers and maritime investors to explore Andhra Pradesh as a preferred investment destination.
“Under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India had set an ambitious objective of becoming one of the world’s top five shipbuilding nations. We have been taking major steps to develop the capacity, technology and industrial ecosystem required to achieve this goal. The Modi government has allocated ₹70,000 crore in financing support for shipbuilding and other maritime activities, creating opportunities for domestic and international investors,” Sonowal said.
He said Andhra Pradesh’s maritime development was part of India’s broader transformation under Prime Minister Modi. Initiatives such as Sagarmala, Maritime India Vision 2030 and Maritime Amrit Kaal Vision 2047 are laying the foundation for a globally competitive maritime economy, with an envisaged investment of ₹80 lakh crore.
Sonowal also highlighted the ₹10,000-crore Container Manufacturing Scheme aimed at promoting indigenous container production, along with the proposed ₹10,000-crore Coastal Cargo Promotion Scheme to harness the potential of India’s 12,000-km coastline.
The ₹80,000-crore deep-draft, all-weather mega container port at Vadhavan in Maharashtra is another major initiative aimed at strengthening India’s maritime infrastructure and enhancing its position in global trade.
