STRATEGY AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE MARITIME SECTOR

The Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, under the Sagarmala scheme, is advancing a five‑pillar strategy – Port Modernisation, Port Connectivity, Port‑Led Industrialisation, Coastal Community Development and Coastal Shipping & Inland Water Transport – with financial assistance to states, major ports and other agencies. Digital initiatives such as the One Nation One Port Process, Maritime Single Window (Sagar Setu), e‑Samudra, e‑Pariksha and Jalyan & Navic aim to standardise documentation, cut manual steps and speed cargo handling. The government has enacted eight maritime laws (including the Merchant Shipping Act, 2025 and Coastal Shipping Act, 2025) and approved a Rs 69,725 crore package to boost shipbuilding capacity, financing, skilling and reforms. It also pursues bilateral and multilateral cooperation in the Indian Ocean Region under Vision MAHASAGAR, focusing on trade, capacity building, and maritime security.