Centre’s maritime push will help India reclaim global seafaring status: Sonowal

Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal has said that the President’s address to Parliament has firmly underlined the government’s long-term policy resolve to expand India’s maritime sector, inland waterways and blue economy, calling it a clear roadmap to build globally competitive logistics and shipping capacity. He noted that the expansion of national waterways, shipping reforms and focused investments in ports and logistics are central to the vision of transforming India into a global maritime hub while driving sustainable growth, jobs and regional development.

​President Droupadi Murmu, in her address to the joint sitting of Parliament at the start of the Budget Session, highlighted that India has moved from just five national waterways to more than 100, enabling eastern States such as Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal and Bihar to emerge as logistics hubs and easing pressure on road and rail networks. She said the expansion of inland waterways and policy reforms is reshaping logistics, trade and coastal livelihoods, while also lowering transportation costs.

​Murmu further drew attention to the rise of cruise tourism as a growing contributor to local economies, stating that river and coastal cruises are boosting tourism and strengthening communities along rivers and coastlines. She also underlined government initiatives to deepen the blue economy by linking farmers to fisheries, livestock and beekeeping and by extending benefits of the Exclusive Economic Zone to coastal fishing communities to tap high-seas resources.

​On the structural challenges facing Indian shipping, the President flagged that about 95 per cent of the country’s trade is currently carried on foreign-flag vessels, resulting in annual outflows of more than ₹6 lakh crore. To address this, she said the government has rolled out a historic package of nearly ₹70,000 crore for the shipping sector, accorded infrastructure status to large vessels and begun overhauling archaic maritime laws to incentivise fleet expansion and coastal shipping.

​Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the President’s address captures both India’s recent development trajectory and the government’s future policy priorities, describing it as a blueprint that will guide the country’s growth in the months ahead. Sonowal added that under the Modi government, inland waterways have emerged as a sustainable and cost-effective transport mode, with investments in ports, shipping and cruise tourism generating employment and reviving coastal economies.