Ports, Shipping and Waterways Minister Sarbananda Sonowal today said that India is targeting a port handling capacity of 10 thousand million metric tons per annum by 2047. Speaking at the maiden Sagarmanthan, ‘The Great Oceans Dialogue’, Mr Sonowal said that India aims to revolutionise its maritime sector with an investment worth 80 lakh crores to enhance port capacity, shipping, and ship building inland waterways. Highlighting the Amrit Kaal Maritime Vision 2047, the Minister of India is preparing to build future ships that run on clean fuels.

Talking to the media, Mr Sonowal said that Sagarmanthan aspires to stir global dialogue and knowledge sharing for sustainable development of the blue economy. He added that delegates and speakers from over 60 nations are bringing in their rich knowledge and vast expertise. He said that India aims to be the leading maritime nation in the world across all the verticals including port operation, cargo handling, shipbuilding and legislative reforms. Mr Sonowal highlighted that the turnaround time at Indian ports has halved from 45 hours to just 22 hours, which is better than many advanced maritime nations.