Maritime India Summit 2021

• 03 Mar 2021

Why in News

‘Maritime India Summit 2021’ is being organised by the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways.

Key Points

• Focus Area:
  
  • To further the port-led development along the 7,516-km long coastline.
  • India will invest USD 82 billion in port projects by 2035 (under Sagarmala Programme), raise the share of clean renewable energy sources in the maritime sector, develop waterways and boost tourism around lighthouses.
  • India aims to operationalise 23 waterways by 2030.
  • Through the focus areas of upgradation of infrastructure, India aims to strengthen the vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat.
• Current Status of Indian Ports:
  
  • India has 12 major ports and several minor ports along its West and East coast.
  • Capacity of major ports have increased from 870 million tonnes in 2014 to 1550 million tonnes in 2021.
  • Indian ports have measures such as: Direct port Delivery, Direct Port Entry and an upgraded Port Community System (PCS) for easy data flow that has helped in reduced waiting time for inbound and outbound cargo.
• Significance:
  
  • It will help in growth of the maritime sector and promote India as a leading Blue Economy of the world.
  • Further the Maritime India Vision 2030.
• Other Initiatives for Port Development:
  
  • The Sagar-Manthan: Mercantile Marine Domain Awareness Centre has also been launched.
    
    • It is an information system for enhancing maritime safety, search and rescue capabilities, security and marine environment protection.
  • Ship repair clusters will be developed along both coasts by 2022.
  • Domestic ship recycling industry will also be promoted to create 'Wealth from Waste'.
    
    • India has enacted Recycling of Ships Act, 2019 and agreed to the Hong Kong International Convention.
  • India aims to increase usage of renewable energy to more than 60% of total energy by 2030 across Indian ports.

Sagarmala Programme

• The Sagarmala Programme was approved by the Union Cabinet in 2015 which aims at holistic port infrastructure development along the 7,516-km long coastline through modernisation, mechanisation and computerisation.
• Under this port-led development framework, the government hopes to increase its cargo traffic three-fold.
• It also includes the establishment of rail/road linkages with the port terminals, thus providing last-mile connectivity to ports; development of linkages with new regions, enhanced multi-modal connectivity including rail, inland water, coastal and road services.

Source: PIB