‘India is emerging as a global maritime leader’: Sarbananda Sonowal

Interview/ Sarbananda Sonowal, Union minister of ports, shipping and waterways

For someone who never saw the sea as a child, Sarbananda Sonowal, as Union shipping minister, has been adeptly steering the government’s mission to make India a major maritime power. Growing up in a lower middle-class farming family in Muluk village in the flood-prone Dibrugarh district of Assam, he often had to sell vegetables at a nearby market to help the family. From there, he went on to become a student leader, politician and Assam chief minister, and now heads one of the most important ministries of the Narendra Modi government.

And there, the affable Sonowal has been tasked with moving India closer to the targets under the Maritime India Vision 2030 and Amrit Kaal Vision 2047. Excerpts from an interview:

Q/ There is a newfound focus on the maritime domain. What are the reasons for this? How frequently does the prime minister’s office interact with your ministry on these matters?

Before 2014, India’s maritime potential remained largely underutilised. Under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, the maritime sector has moved to the centre of India’s development and strategic agenda. Naturally, the PMO maintains close engagement because maritime issues today intersect national security, economic growth, connectivity and climate resilience.

Our seas are vital to safeguard trade routes and respond to evolving security challenges—from piracy and terrorism to smuggling and illegal fishing. At the same time, the maritime sector is a powerful engine of growth through ports, shipping, inland waterways and the blue economy. Climate change and India’s vast coastline and island territories further underscore the need for stronger maritime governance. In many ways, India’s rise as a leading global economy is inseparable from its rise as a leading maritime nation.

Q/ Do you think the maritime sector was neglected for decades?

If not neglect, then for much of the post-independence period, India’s idea of maritime remained predominantly peripheral. The maritime sector evolved in silos—with ports, shipping and inland waterways functioning as separate components rather than as an integrated economic ecosystem. The leadership failed to empower some of India’s greatest natural strengths—the waterways and the coastline.

Structural bottlenecks persisted without a concerted effort to devise an apt cure and to enable it to become an economic multiplier asset. Archaic laws, high vessel turnaround times, inadequate hinterland connectivity and the near absence of inland water transport meant that India’s vast maritime potential remained untapped. We paid a huge opportunity cost for this neglect, which is beyond economic costs.

The transformational shift came after 2014. The focus moved from merely developing ports to pursuing port-led development. Through flagship initiatives such as Sagarmala, the declaration of 106 new national waterways, launching of two ambitious visions laying out clear objectives, initiation of mega port projects and landmark legislative reforms, the maritime sector became an integral part of India’s logistics, trade and economic strategy. The results are visible in expanded port capacity, faster vessel turnaround, spectacular growth in inland transportation, cruise and lighthouse tourism, global shipbuilding orders for Indian companies, supremacy in ship recycling, stronger multimodal connectivity and renewed momentum in the blue economy.

Today, India is emerging as a global maritime leader. We are at the forefront of sustainable ship recycling, working closely with leading maritime nations to strengthen our shipping ecosystem, modernise our ports, enhance the skills of our world-class maritime workforce and unlock the immense potential of our long coastline. Under Maritime Amrit Kaal Vision 2047, we are building a future-ready maritime sector that will drive trade, innovation, employment and sustainability. We are confident that this transformative journey will anchor India’s position among the world’s leading maritime nations by 2047, contributing significantly to the vision of Viksit Bharat.

Q/ Is there a restructuring of India’s maritime strategy?

It has undergone a fundamental restructuring in the past decade. The change is not merely one of policy, but of perspective—India has moved from viewing the seas as a peripheral space to recognising them as central to our national security, economic prosperity and global influence.

Earlier, our strategic outlook was predominantly continental, shaped by land-based security challenges. Today, India sees itself as a leading maritime power in the Indo-Pacific, with the Indian Ocean at the heart of its strategic interests. This is reflected in a stronger maritime presence, mission-based deployments and enhanced maritime domain awareness across the region.

The second major shift has been from fragmented governance to an integrated maritime ecosystem... [with a] unified national strategy rather than isolated sectors.

There has also been a broadening of our maritime vision—from a narrow focus on coastal defence to an approach encompassing maritime security, trade, connectivity, sustainability and economic development. The blue economy has become a key pillar of national growth, with renewed emphasis on coastal shipping, inland waterways, fisheries, offshore energy and emerging sectors.

Our government’s vision has also evolved from SAGAR (Security And Growth for All in the Region) to MAHASAGAR (Mutual And Holistic Advancement for Security And Growth Across Regions), reflecting India’s commitment to work with partners across the Indo-Pacific and the global south for secure seas, resilient supply chains, sustainable ocean governance and shared prosperity.

Q/ How has the Gulf conflict impacted Indian shipping and the maritime domain in general?

The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world’s most critical energy corridors, handling a substantial share of global oil trade and serving as a key route for India’s imports of crude oil, LNG and LPG, as well as its trade with West Asia.

The conflict led to a sharp decline in vessel movement, disruptions in energy and cargo supplies, higher freight rates, and a steep increase in war-risk insurance premiums. Shipping schedules were affected, supply chains experienced delays, and trade with West Asia came under pressure. The safety of Indian seafarers also became an important concern.

The government responded through a coordinated, whole-of-government approach. High-level reviews were undertaken, supported by an Empowered Group of Secretaries and regular consultations with industry stakeholders. At the operational level, ports introduced measures such as priority berthing for essential cargo, reductions in port charges, waivers of ground rent and dwell time charges, additional storage capacity, cabotage (transportation of goods between two places in a country by a transport operator from another country) relaxation and streamlined customs procedures to maintain the flow of trade.

The government also launched the Bharat Maritime Insurance Pool, a sovereign-backed mechanism to provide war-risk insurance cover. A 24×7 control room was established, thousands of Indian seafarers were evacuated and close coordination was maintained with the Navy and the ministry of external affairs for real-time monitoring and safe transit. Shipping services to alternative ports in West Asia were also expanded.

We believe these measures helped maintain the continuity of port operations, reduce congestion and ensure that India’s maritime supply chains continued to function with minimal disruption despite the challenging geopolitical situation.

Q/ Would there be any impact on the Maritime Amrit Kaal Vision 2047 targets?

At present, these are viewed as temporary disruptions rather than structural challenges. There is no expectation of any significant, long-term impact on the timelines of the Maritime Amrit Kaal Vision 2047. India’s long-term maritime strategy remains firmly on course.

Q/ There has been a lot of talk of the new shipping routes being envisaged—the India–Middle East–Europe Corridor (IMEC), the International North–South Transport Corridor (INSTC), Trans-Caspian Route and the Eastern Maritime Corridor being the main ones. What is their status?

These corridors reflect a broader effort to diversify connectivity, strengthen supply chains and improve the resilience of global trade. While they are at different stages of development, steady progress is being made.

For the IMEC, our ministry has initiated the Virtual Trade Corridor between India and the UAE through the Master Application for International Trade and Regulatory Interface (MAITRI). MAITRI Phase I was operationalised on May 15 during the prime minister’s visit to the UAE, and work on Phase II is underway. The Eastern Maritime Corridor (EMC) is another important initiative, linking ports on India’s east coast with ports in Russia’s far east. A Memorandum of Intent between our ministry and Russia was signed in September 2019 to enhance maritime connectivity between Chennai and Vladivostok. A feasibility study concluded that the Chennai–Vladivostok sea route is about 45 per cent shorter than the Mumbai–St Petersburg route, resulting in lower freight costs and shorter transit times.

The corridor is already seeing increasing cargo movement. During FY 2024–25, major ports on India’s east coast handled 2.574 million metric tonnes (MMT) of coal through the EMC, compared with 1.379MMT in the previous year—an 87 per cent increase. Crude oil imports also rose from 1.089MMT to 1.613MMT, a growth of 48 per cent.

These developments indicate that the new maritime corridors are steadily moving from concept to implementation, with tangible progress already visible in trade facilitation and cargo movement.

Q/ While many ports have reported increased capacities, a lot of this remains underutilised.

I would not characterise it as underutilisation. What we are seeing is the outcome of a deliberate strategy to build capacity ahead of demand. Under the Maritime Amrit Kaal Vision 2047, India is preparing its maritime infrastructure to support the needs of a $32 trillion economy. The objective is to ensure that port capacity never becomes a constraint on trade or economic growth.

Infrastructure, particularly in the maritime sector, has to anticipate future demand rather than respond to existing congestion. Over the past 12 years, cargo handled at Indian ports has grown by 59 per cent, while port capacity has expanded by 80 per cent. During this period, India’s total port capacity increased from about 1,561 MMTPA in FY15 to 2,818 MMTPA in FY26. That reflects a conscious policy choice to invest ahead of the curve.

Capacity utilisation also varies from port to port. It depends on factors such as cargo mix, hinterland development, multimodal connectivity and global trade conditions. That is why our focus extends beyond building ports. We are strengthening road, rail and inland waterway connectivity, promoting port-led industrialisation, expanding coastal shipping, and improving efficiency through digital initiatives such as the One Nation One Port (ONOP) process.

As India’s manufacturing base, exports and logistics ecosystem continue to grow, the capacity we have created will be progressively absorbed. We see today’s investments not as excess capacity, but as the foundation for India’s long-term maritime competitiveness.

Q/ What have been the achievements in connecting ports to the hinterland? What are the future plans, especially for last-mile connectivity?

Port connectivity has been a major area of focus because a port is only as efficient as the network that connects it to its hinterland. The objective has been to integrate ports seamlessly with road, rail and multimodal logistics so that cargo can move quickly and efficiently across the country.

Significant progress has already been made. Today, all major ports are connected to the rail network and the national highway network, while ports handling nearly 87 per cent of the country’s cargo are linked through rail and four-lane road connectivity. In addition, 81 rail and road connectivity projects have been completed, adding more than 3,500km of port-hinterland and last-mile connectivity. These have strengthened cargo evacuation and improved multimodal integration.

The next phase is focused on closing the remaining connectivity gaps. In consultation with the ministries of road transport and railways, 152 connectivity projects have been planned, covering approximately 2,900km across major and non-major ports. A key priority is to strengthen last-mile connectivity by linking ports with the nearest railheads, national highways, dedicated freight corridors and other trunk transport networks. The aim is to ensure that India’s ports function not as isolated gateways, but as integral nodes in a modern, efficient and globally competitive logistics ecosystem.

Q/ What is the potential of the maritime sector in job creation?

The maritime sector has the potential to become one of India’s most significant sources of employment in the coming decades. Under the Maritime Amrit Kaal Vision 2047, the sector is expected to generate more than one crore direct and indirect jobs across a wide range of activities, including port operations, shipbuilding and ship repair, seafaring, inland waterways, cruise tourism, logistics and the blue economy.

This employment potential will be supported by major infrastructure projects such as the new ports at Vadhvan, Vizhinjam, Bahuda and Galathea Bay, as well as the development of maritime clusters that bring together industry, logistics and services.

In the medium term, the proposed Sagarmala 2.0 programme is expected to create around 10,000 direct and more than 50,000 indirect jobs by FY 2035. Other initiatives—including the Maritime Development Fund, the Shipbuilding Financial Assistance Policy, Shipbuilding Development Scheme, the container manufacturing promotion scheme, green shipping and green port initiatives, Cruise Bharat Mission and numerous other investments across major and non-major ports—are also expected to contribute to employment generation.

India is already among the world’s three largest suppliers of seafarers, and new areas such as green shipping, offshore wind and marine biotechnology are opening up additional opportunities. Together, these developments have the potential to create a future-ready workforce while expanding economic opportunities for coastal communities and young people across the country.

Q/ The Great Nicobar project has become mired in controversy.

The Modi government remains firmly committed to the holistic development of Great Nicobar Island, recognising its strategic importance in India’s long-term maritime vision. The proposed International Container Transshipment Port is a key component of that vision, aimed at strengthening India’s maritime capabilities and enhancing its position in global shipping.

Given the scale and significance of the project, public discussion and scrutiny are both expected and welcome. The government has followed the prescribed processes, including environmental clearances, stakeholder consultations and the necessary statutory assessments. The project is also being developed in phases to balance financial viability with long-term sustainability, while ensuring that majority ownership remains with Indian entities in keeping with national interest.

On the implementation front, the project has been appraised by the Public-Private Partnership Appraisal Committee, and the proposal is now being prepared for cabinet consideration. At the same time, the government is working with the home ministry to strengthen existing infrastructure on Great Nicobar Island, and preliminary work has already commenced.