From ship tech centre to Rs 230 crore port investments: Key takeaways from Indian Lighthouse Festival 3.0

Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW) Sarbananda Sonowal on Saturday talked about a number of initiatives that were on their way to continuing India's 11-year maritime transformation.

He was speaking at the valedictory ceremony of the third edition of the Indian Lighthouse Festival, held from December 9-10.

One of the major initiatives he talked about was the development of the Indian Ship Technology Centre (ISTC), a "first-of-its-kind Centre of Excellence" under the Indian Maritime University (IMU).

Poised to become a hub for design, R&D, engineering, and skill development, the shipping ministry had announced a Rs 305 crore investment into the ISTC, in a bid to boost India's maritime workforce.

India’s seafarers had already grown in numbers from 1.25 lakh a decade ago to over three lakh at the time, placing the country among the top three global suppliers of trained seafarers. 

He added that the ISTC would be part of a greenfield shipbuilding cluster in the state, discussed during CM Chandrababu Naidu's recent visit to Delhi.

A Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) was also formed by the Visakhapatnam Port Authority (VPA) and the Andhra Pradesh Maritime Board (APMB) in this regard.

Sonowal also announced that a series of lighthouses were being built across India—four in Assam, and 25 others across the country, with a special focus on Andhra Pradesh—as a part of the maritime sector's tourism push, as well as to enhance navigational safety on inland waterways.

The shipping minister also spoke about the construction of the first lighthouse museum in the state, for which a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the VPA and the Directorate General of Lighthouses and Lightships (DGLL).

In that regard, he also spoke of a 77-metre-tall lighthouse museum being constructed at the being constructed at the National Maritime Heritage Complex (NMHC) in Gujarat's Lothal, under an investment of Rs 266 crore, which aims to become one of the world's biggest maritime museums.

He explained that these initiatives would go a long way in boosting the blue economy, in line with India's larger maritime goals under the India Maritime Vision 2030 and the Maritime Amrit Kaal Vision 2047.

Rs 230 crore port investments

Earlier on Saturday, Sonowal also spoke of a number of port infrastructure investments at the Visakhapatnam Port, worth Rs 230 crore.

Among the investments was the upgradation of fire-fighting facilities at the port's LPG berth to accommodate 40,000 dwt vessels and above, in compliance with OISD-156 safety guidelines. 

To aid the ship repair and maintenance sectors, he also announced Rs 35.87 crore for the upgradation and development of infrastructure facilities at the ORS Dry Dock, which is to be leased on a licence-basis for 15 years. This will not only support ship repair, but also generate additional employment.

A new Administrative Office Building (AOB) will be constructed for the port at a cost of Rs 97.70 crore, in order to modernise office infrastructure and improve operational efficiency.

Lastly, the shipping minister also said that residential apartments would be constructed at Harbour Park under an investment of Rs 44.20 crore, as a housing scheme for port employees.

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However, the two-day event was not just about investments and MoUs—it also saw a number of cultural events, ranging from dance and theatre performances, interactive activity zones, and authentic coastal cuisines.