This week, the Union Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW) brought together representatives from all of India's coastal states and Union Territories under one roof in New Delhi for a National Consultative Workshop.
This was part of the Centre's attempt to turn India's maritime ambitions into a coordinated effort. The occasion was framed under the Maritime Amrit Kaal Vision 2047, the government's long-range blueprint targeting ₹80 lakh crore in maritime investments and 1.5 crore jobs by Independent India's centenary year.
For more maritime and shipping news and views, visit: Maritime, Ahoy!
MoPSW Secretary Vijay Kumar stressed how India was already seeing better port performance, improved global rankings, and deeper integration with international trade networks. However, he emphasised that the next phase of growth demands much closer alignment between the Centre and the states.
Non-major ports, governed by state governments, handle nearly 46 per cent of India's total cargo. Yet these hundreds of ports often operate with varying processes, inconsistent digital integration, and limited coordination with national logistics frameworks. The shipping ministry looks to bring them in line with one another. The workshop stressed the need for process standardisation and digital integration at these ports.
The workshop also discussed two key digital reform initiatives. The first is One Nation One Port Process (ONOP), which aims to standardise port procedures so that a vessel operator or cargo importer faces the same paperwork, approvals, and processes at any Indian port. The second is the Maritime Single Window, or Sagar Setu, a unified digital platform designed to enable seamless end-to-end maritime transactions without requiring operators to navigate multiple agencies.
The Indian Ports Act, 2025, which was passed by Parliament last August 2025, replaced the colonial-era Indian Ports Act of 1908 after 117 years, establishing the Maritime State Development Council as a statutory consultative body, empowering coastal states to set up State Maritime Boards, and creating a unified Dispute Resolution Committee mechanism.
The workshop involved nine coastal states, i.e., Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and West Bengal, along with four Union Territories (Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu, Puducherry, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, and Lakshadweep).