85% Pvt Participation in Key Ports by '30: Sonowal

The government has identified 50 public-private partnership (PPP) projects worth over ₹60,000 crore, significantly surpassing the original targets of the National Monetisation Pipeline, said Ports, Shipping, and Waterways Minister Sarbananda Sonowal at the Business Standard Infrastructure Summit on Thursday.

- BS REPORTER

The government also aims to raise the share of private participation in major ports to 85 per cent by 2030, he said in his keynote address at the event.

Among upcoming projects, the greenfield port at Vadhavan in Maharashtra will be India's largest by capacity, with an investment of ₹76,000 crore. It will be developed in phases, to be completed in 2029 and 2037. The Nicobar port project, with a cost of ₹48,000 crore, is expected to be completed over the next decade.

Greenfield port at Vadhavan in Maharashtra with an investment of ₹76,000 crore will be India's biggest port by capacity when operational, with phases that will be completed in 2029 and 2037. The Nicobar port, costing ₹48,000 crore, will be completed in 10 years.

Sonowal said alternative trade corridors such as the India-Middle East-Europe Corridor (IMEC) and the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC) are also being developed to mitigate geopolitical uncertainties.

Vision 2030 and 2047 goal

Over the past 11 years, India has significantly expanded its port capacity, with cargo handling at 12 major ports rising from 855 million tonnes (mt) to 1,690 mt. The country's overall capacity now stands at 2,600 mt. The government plans to raise this to 10,000 mt by 2047.