We're creating a system for shipbuilding in India, says Sarbananda Sonowal

First phase [of Vadhavan port] is expected to be completed by 2029 and second by 2037, says Sonowal

The world’s leading shipbuilders are interested in manufacturing in India because   the government is creating infrastructure, said Sarbananda Sonowal, Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, in an interview at the Business Standard Infrastructure Summit in New Delhi. “We are creating a massive ecosystem,” he told Business Standard’s Shailesh Dobhal. Edited excerpts: 

Vadhavan in Maharashtra will be the biggest port in India, getting an investment of ₹76,000 crore. There’s another port coming up in Nicobar as well. When do you think these ports will be completed? 

The first phase [of Vadhavan port] is expected to be completed by 2029 and second by 2037: these are the two phases we have set as targets for construction. Vadhavan is the all-time biggest port after independence. Out of the port’s activities, a city will be born. City means infrastructure, institutions, industry, employment opportunities — all kinds of ecosystems will come up. After the construction of Vadhavan port, we will be able to provide employment to 1.2 million people directly and indirectly. This is the power of port modernisation, capacity enhancement, operations, and port-created facilities. 

A port does not mean just a docking place but an entire ecosystem: from warehouses to connectivity, to industries and multiple verticals built around it. The benefit will not be limited to the people of Maharashtra alone. The port will be linked with [industrial] plants across the country because of the strong railway and road connectivity we are planning. Overall, cargo-handling capacity will be remarkable. 

Alongside, the Nicobar port is coming up at a cost of ₹48,000 crore, with a capacity of 18 million TEUs [Twenty-foot Equivalent Unit, a standard unit of measurement for containers used in the shipping industry]. Its location is strategically important — just 100 nautical miles from the main international sea lane — making it a hub for global connectivity and transshipment. I believe this will truly emerge as a capital centre for trade. 

Any timeline for the Nicobar port? 

Yeah of course. We have started the initiative, and it is expected to come up in the next 10 years. 

You spoke about making India a shipbuilding nation: top 10 by 2030 and top 5 by 2047. The Union Budget announced big things for shipbuilding 

It’s very encouraging news that the Maharashtra government is coming up with a maritime policy, because if states and the centre join hands there is an equation to grow faster. That is why in association with the state government we are going to develop a shipbuilding cluster. Not only ships but also associated equipment and parts will also be manufactured in and around the [cluster]. This is the way we want to take… for the Atmanirbhar Bharat mission. To build a single ship, you need around 5,000 different parts and pieces of equipment. Each of these has to be specialised and properly classified by one of the top classification societies. Only then can those parts be used in a ship. That is why, to create such a massive ecosystem, we have decided to set up a dedicated shipbuilding cluster. 

Are major shipbuilders of the world interested in our policy? 

Yeah, of course. They are coming forward… some leading shipbuilding nations like Japan and South Korea are also coming and having dialogue with us. 

We have already started bilateral discussions. [Executives of French shipping and logistics company CMA CGM] have come to Cochin Shipyard; they have placed an order for two big ships. We are creating such an environment that leading players from across the world are coming to India. 

There is global uncertainty around Donald Trump’s tariffs, what measures is the government taking to support the shipping sector? 

We are associating [with] concerned nations, having dialogue. [We are] considering the geopolitical situation.  It is not that we keep silent. We are putting our efforts and finding out alternative ways, so that our voice can be continued [to be heard] with power and energy and vision.