Review of Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways for 2024
A. General
1. Hon’ble Prime Minister Inaugurated Green Waterway Initiative in Varanasi on February 23, 2024, two hybrid electric catamaran vessels were dedicated to the nation. These vessels, designed to operate on the River Saryu in Ayodhya and the River Ganga in Varanasi, are a testament to India’s commitment to sustainable transport solutions. Powered by fast-charging batteries, they aim to significantly reduce carbon emissions while supporting religious tourism.
2. Hon’ble Prime Minister unveiled Projects of the Ministry
* On February 28, 2024, a diverse array of projects worth Rs.10,324 crore were unveiled at Tuticorin. Key highlights include the following:
* Outer Harbour Container Terminal project at VOC Port positioning it as the Transhipment Hub on the East Coast which was long awaited.
* Dedication of the development of ‘Tourism facilities at 75 lighthouses’.
* Flagged off India’s first indigenous hydrogen fuel cell vessel built by CSL
* Showcased VOC Port as India’s first hydrogen hub port.
* On March 1, 2024, Hon’ble Prime Minister inaugurated and laid the foundation stones of multiple projects at SMP, Kolkata worth more than Rs. 960 crore under the aegis of “Viksit Bharat”, viz.:
* Inauguration of the Automated Fire Suppression System involving cutting edge sensor technology for Oil Jetties at Haldia Dock Complex for safer handling of inflammable liquid cargo.
* Inauguration of the rail mounted Quay crane at Haldia Dock Complex capable of handling 40 tonnes with potential to increase Port’s handling capacity by 2.5 lakh tonnes annually.
* Laying of Foundation Stone for a project dedicated to Container Handling, Enhancement and Mechanisation of berths 7 & 8 at Netaji Subhas Dock under Kolkata Dock System.
3. India-Middle East Europe Economic Corridor
Ex-post facto approval was accorded to the Inter-Governmental Framework Agreement (IGFA) by the Union Cabinet that was signed during the High Level visit between India and United Arab Emirates on Cooperation for the empowerment and operation of the India-Middle East Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC). The IGFA aims to further strengthen the bilateral relations between the two countries in Ports, Maritime and Logistics sectors.
4. World Bank’s Logistics Performance Index (LPI) Report — 2023 released in April 2023
* India has reached 22nd rank in International Shipment category as against 44th rank in 2014.
* The average Container Dwell Time has reached a level of 3 days only as compared to 4 days for countries like UAE and South Africa, 7 days for USA and 10 days for Germany.
* Indian Ports “Turn Around Time” has reached 0.9 days which is better than USA (1.5 days), Australia (1.7 days), Singapore (1.0 days) etc.
5. India re-elected to the Council of International Maritime Organisation for the biennium 2024-25 with highest tally
5. India has been re-elected to the Council of International Maritime Organisation (IMO), London in the category of 10 member countries with ‘the largest interest in international seaborne trade’. India secured 157 votes out of 163 valid votes cast during the election, which is the highest tally among all the countries elected.
The Council elections were held during the 33rd session of IMO Assembly at London by secret ballot on 01.12.2023. The term of Council will be for the biennium 2024-25.
6. Maritime State Development Council meeting
20th MSDC meeting was held on September 12 & 13, 2024 in Goa under the Chairpersonship of Hon’ble Minister of PSW and with the participation of Maritime States & UTs at the Ministerial/official levels. During the meeting, over 100 issues from various states were deliberated and successfully resolved. Several new and emerging challenges were also addressed, including the establishment of Places of Refuge (PoR) for ships in distress, the development of Radioactive Detection Equipment (RDE) infrastructure at ports to enhance security, and the facilitation of seafarers by recognising them as key essential workers, ensuring better working conditions and access to shore leave.
7. MoUs signed during Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit 2024
MOUs worth Rs. 30,000+ crore was signed in the presence of CM Gujarat Shri Bhupendra Patel and Shri Sarbananda Sonowal during Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit 2024.
8. On 26.01.2024, MoPSW, during the 75th Republic Day parade, unveiled its tableaux, a visual representation of the visionary Sagarmala Programme, catalysing Port-led development in alignment with the Hon’ble Prime Minister’s vision. This flagship program has significantly reduced turnaround times and enhanced cargo handling efficiency across ports. Highlighting the Ministry’s commitment to gender inclusivity, the front portion of the tableaux showcased the remarkable 1100% increase in the number of women seafarers over the last 9 years. This symbolizes “Nari Shakti Driving the Blue Economy,” a central theme of the “Sagar Samman” initiative.
9. Gati Shakti Research Chair at IIM Shillong established on 23.02.2024 to foster academic research and multimodal logistics development, especially focusing on the Northeast region.
10. Constitution of ViBhaS and NAVIC Functional Cells at MOPSW:
Identifying the need for a theme based focused approach towards effective monitoring and implementation of Ministry’s broad objectives as enlisted in the Maritime India Vision 2030 (MIV 2030) and Maritime Amrit Kaal Vision 2047 (MAKV 2047) to work towards a Viksit Bharat, MoPSW constituted a total of 20+ Viksit Bharat Sankalp (ViBhaS) cells and Neel Arth Vision Implementation Cells (NAVIC). These cells cover key areas such as Traffic - Cargo, Projects Schemes & PPP, Shipbuilding-Repair-Recycling, Maritime Finance, Technology, Legal, HR, etc., and have a two-tiered framework with ViBhaS members primarily being senior officers from Ministry for review, monitoring & coordination whereas NAVIC members being from various organizations under MoPSW (Major Ports, DGS, IWAI, etc.) focused on implementation.
11. Government e-market place (GeM)
During FY 2023-24, the total procurement by Organisations of this Ministry through GeM portal has been approx. Rs. 2754.13 crore as against the targeted amount of Rs.1624.14 crore i.e. 170% higher than the target.
When it is compared with procurements of Rs. 577 crore during 2022-23, the growth works out to 377%.
12. New Initiatives: State Maritime & Waterways Transport Committees
MoPSW has constituted State Maritime & Waterways Transport Committees (SMWTCs) under the Chairmanship of Chief Secretary / Additional Chief Secretary of respective States, to coordinate the implementation of the wide array of initiatives and schemes in the maritime / waterways sector. SMWTCs have been constituted in 12 States i.e. Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Goa, Himachal Pradesh, Kerala, Maharashtra, Mizoram, Nagaland, Puducherry, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. The constitution of SMWTCs in the remaining 18 States/UTs are underway, and in various stages of approvals.
13. Tuticorin International Container Terminal (TICT)
TICT was dedicated by Hon’ble Minister of PSW to the nation at the V.O. Chidambaranar Port Authority (VoCPA) on September 16, 2024. He also inaugurated key infra projects as well as laid foundation stones for several initiatives and flagged off the maiden container vessel from TICT. The terminal has been developed with an investment of more than Rs. 434 crore, with a capacity to handle 6 lakh TEUs annually. The Hon’ble Prime Minister addressed the inauguration of TICT via video message.
14. Cruise Bharat Mission
The Hon’ble Minister of PSW launched ‘Cruise Bharat Mission’ from the Mumbai Port Authority on September 30, 2024. The Mission aims to boost the tremendous potential of cruise tourism in the country. It is envisaged that the activities under the mission will propel country’s cruise tourism industry by doubling cruise passenger traffic within five years: i.e. by 2029.
15. New Brand Ambassador of MoPSW
On September 17, 2024, the Hon’ble Minister of PSW announced that the Double Olympic Medal Winner in Shooting in Summer Olympics held in 2024 at Paris, Ms. Manu Bhaker, has been appointed as the Brand Ambassador for the Ministry. The shooting ace is the daughter of a Marine Engineer.
16. Productivity Linked Reward (PLR) Scheme
Cabinet, vide meeting dated 03.10.2024, approved the proposal for the New PLR scheme for the Major Port and Dock employees for payment of PLR from the year 2020-21 to 2025-26. This decision of the government has benefited more than 20,000 Major Port officers and employees.
17. Cabinet Approval for NMHC Project
The Union Cabinet on 09.10.2024 approved the development of the National Maritime Heritage Complex (NMHC) at Lothal in Gujarat. The NMHC project is an ambitious initiative by the Government of India to create a world class maritime museum and cultural centre dedicated to India’s rich maritime history, heritage, and its strategic position as a maritime power. This project is set to be located in Lothal, a site in Gujarat that has historical significance and was a thriving Harappan-era port.
18. 1st India Maritime Heritage Conclave – 2024
MoPSW organised the country’s first ever India Maritime Heritage Conclave-2024 (IMHC-2024) on December 11-12, 2024. This prestigious gathering celebrated India’s illustrious maritime legacy and its profound contributions to global trade, culture, and innovation. Presided over by Sh. Jagdeep Dhankhar, Hon’ble Vice President of India, the conclave brought together ministers, experts, and dignitaries from around the world, serving as a vibrant platform for dialogue and collaboration, reaffirming India’s enduring maritime heritage and its pivotal role in shaping the global maritime narrative.
19. International Container Transhipment Port (ICTP) at Galathea Bay, Great Nicobar Island
Development of a Mega Transhipment Port at Galathea Bay, Great Nicobar Island is envisaged to capture transhipment cargo from ports on the Indian East Coast, Bangladesh, and Myanmar, significantly boosting the region’s cargo handling capacity. The port aims to handle 4 MTEUs by 2028 and 16 MTEUs by 2058. The project will be developed in four phases with a total estimated cost of Rs. 43,796 crore. The project will generate employment for 3,500 workers during the construction phase and, once operational, it will create 1,700 direct jobs and 350 indirect jobs. The project has also been accorded in the 77th Network Planning Group and notified as a Major Port in India.
B. Ports
1. Ports Performance
The cargo handling capacity at major ports has doubled over the past decade [reached 1,630 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) by March 2024], as compared to 800.5 MTPA in 2014). Currently the cargo handling capacity at Indian ports (including Major Ports and other than Major Ports) is 2,690 MTPA. The Maritime India Vision 2030 and Amrit Kaal Vision 2047 envisions it to increase to >3,500 MMTPA by 2030 and 10,000 MTPA by 2047.
In the current financial year (April-November 2024), the Major Ports have already handled around 549.47 million tonnes of cargo as compared to 535.61 million tonnes during the same period of the previous year i.e. an increase of 2.59%.
98 port modernisation projects costing over INR 32,000 crore have been completed so far, which have increased the annual port capacity by more than 230 MTPA.
In terms of efficiency, the Major Ports have witnessed significant improvement over the years which has been globally recognised
*According to World Bank’s Logistics Performance Index (LPI) Report published in 2023, India has secured 38th position out of 139 countries in 2023, up from 44th in 2018 and 54th in 2014.
* As per the report, India has achieved a low average dwell time of approximately 2.6 days at ports, which is competitive compared to many developed nations.
* Turn Around Time (TRT) of Major Ports has reduced from around 94 hours in FY-2013-14 to only around 48.06 hours in FY 2023-24. The average ship berth-day output and cargo handling capacity vis-a-vis FY 2014-15 have improved by 52% and 87% respectively.
*Major Ports in India are witnessing double digit annual growth and, as per the recent World Bank Logistics Performance Index Report, India has moved up from 44th rank in the International Shipment Category in year 2019 to 22nd Rank in 2023. In timeliness of shipment delivery, the country witnessed a 17-place jump in ranking from 52 in 2018 to 35 in 2023.
Source: Exim News Service: NEW DELHI, Jan. 2