Kerala Maritime Board Amendment Bill Puts CM at the Helm, Proposes Land Bank and 45-Year Port Concessions

Summary

Kerala has introduced the Kerala Maritime Board (Amendment) Bill, 2026, to overhaul the state’s maritime governance under its Mission Samudra initiative. The bill makes the Chief Minister chairperson of the board, creates a State Maritime Land Bank, sets up port-area development authorities and allows public-private partnership concessions of up to 45 years.

Article

Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala government has introduced the Kerala Maritime Board (Amendment) Bill, 2026, in the state Assembly, proposing sweeping changes to the 2017 Act to strengthen the board and drive Mission Samudra, its flagship maritime development programme.

Presenting the bill, Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan said Kerala must make better use of its roughly 600 km coastline, two international ports, a container terminal and 18 minor ports to overcome severe constraints on land and industrial expansion.

How will decision-making change?

The bill amends Section 3 of the Act to make the Chief Minister chairperson of the Maritime Board. Departments handling ports, fisheries, industries, finance, revenue, law and coastal security will be represented, bringing all key stakeholders into a single forum.

Satheesan said proposals currently had to move through several departments because neither the board nor the Ports Department could take certain decisions independently. The new structure is meant to let investment proposals be considered in one place.

The bill also writes the board’s responsibilities directly into the Act through a new Section 7A containing 48 clauses, rather than leaving them to rules. The government said this was needed to strengthen the board’s capacity over minor ports and inland vessels, and to align state law with the Centre’s 2025 legislation transferring control of minor ports to maritime boards.

How will Kerala tackle land shortages?

A new Section 22A proposes a State Maritime Land Bank, pooling government-controlled land for warehouses, container freight stations, logistics parks and other port-linked facilities. Satheesan cited limited land, forest restrictions, paddy land controls and Coastal Regulation Zone rules as reasons Kerala has lagged neighbouring states industrially.

The bill also reinstates Section 103 to create a Port Area Development Authority for each port. Each authority will prepare a spatial development plan to be notified under town and country planning law, replacing piecemeal, project-by-project development.

How will projects be financed?

An amendment to Section 22 explicitly provides for public-private partnerships, with concessions of up to 45 years subject to government approval. Satheesan said the state could not fund all projects directly but could contribute land as equity while private investors provide capital.

The government is weighing several models, including expressions of interest, government-to-government deals, public sector enterprises and a structure similar to Cochin International Airport Limited.

What projects are planned under Mission Samudra?

The government sees Vizhinjam International Seaport as the anchor for a wider logistics and industrial network, now that import and export operations have begun. It has decided to allocate ₹3,200 crore for the Vizhinjam ring road to attract maritime-linked investment along the corridor.

Other proposals outlined include:

• Coastal shipping: shifting freight from roads to sea, starting with oil, gas, chemicals and hazardous cargo. Satheesan said Kerala could eventually move half of road traffic to sea, at about a third of the cost.
• Cruise tourism: cruise terminals at Kochi and Kozhikode, with routes to Dubai, the Maldives, Sri Lanka and Goa, and later river cruises on Kerala’s 44 rivers.
• Blue economy: reviving seafood exports, with Thiruvananthapuram as a port city, Kollam as a mineral corridor and Alappuzha as a blue economy hub under a Southern Economic Corridor.
• Skills: new programmes in logistics, maritime law and maritime history, with a system to help graduates find jobs within Kerala.

The cruise and river tourism proposals are part of the broader vision and are not yet approved or operational.

What is the background?

The bill follows the dissolution of the Kerala Maritime Board on July 6, 2026, which the government attributed to persistent administrative failures, financial irregularities and the board’s inability to meet its statutory obligations. The board had itself reported that 13 of Kerala’s 17 minor ports lacked operational infrastructure or activity.

Why does it matter?

Placing the Chief Minister at the head of the board, pooling land and offering long-term concessions directly address the bottlenecks that have held back Kerala’s minor ports and port-led industry. If implemented, the reforms could help Kerala build a logistics ecosystem around Vizhinjam and revive its underused minor ports. Their success will depend on how quickly land is assembled, whether investors respond to the PPP framework and how effectively the new authorities coordinate across departments.

FAQs

What is the Kerala Maritime Board (Amendment) Bill, 2026?

It amends the 2017 Act to strengthen the Maritime Board and support the Mission Samudra maritime development programme.

Who will head the Maritime Board?

The Chief Minister will be chairperson, with key departments represented on the board.

What is the State Maritime Land Bank?

A pool of government-controlled land for port-linked projects such as warehouses, CFSs and logistics parks.

How long can PPP port concessions run?

Up to 45 years, subject to government approval and investment assessment.

Why was the bill introduced?

To fix fragmented decision-making and land constraints after the previous board was dissolved in July 2026 over administrative and financial lapses.