Page 2 - Sarbananda Sonowal

Modi govt plans to invest ₹5,000 cr to develop Northeast waterways: Sonowal

He said that, over the past 11 years, the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW) has transformed India's maritime sector with record growth in cargo handling, capacity and coastal shipping

Kaladan project between India, Myanmar to be operational by 2027: Sonowal

Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Monday said the ambitious Kaladan project between India and Myanmar, which is aimed at reducing the Northeast's distance from the rest of the country, will be operational by 2027. Addressing a press conference here, Sonowal said the distance between Aizawl and Kolkata will be shortened by 700 km once the project is ready. "The Sittwe port (in Myanmar) is ready. Now work is going on to develop the road connectivity to Aizawl. The entire Kaladan Multimodal Transit Transport Project will be operational by 2027," he added. Sonowal, the minister of ports, shipping and waterways, said that his ministry is investing Rs 1,000 crore in developing the waterways of the project, while other agencies are taking care of the rest. He said that the Northeastern region will play a critical role in reviving the economic prosperity of India. "PM Narendra Modi said that transformation should be done through transportation. As per his direction, we want to develop

Atmanirbharta in shipping a key goal of maritime policy: Sarbananda Sonowal

Minister Sonowal says India is working with global partners to boost shipbuilding tech, establish smart islands, and enhance seafarer employment under Make in India

Boat capsize: Kerala on high alert, efforts on to avert major marine crisis

All company representatives of MSC have arrived in Kochi and have been advised to visit both the Indian Coast Guard and MMD offices, Sonowal said

Northeast Waterways to get boost from ₹1K cr investment: Sarbananda Sonowal

More than Rs 1,000 crore has been invested in the waterways in the Northeast in the last two years, while another Rs 1,000 crore will be pumped in to boost the sector, Union minister Sarbananda Sonowal said on Monday. He said efforts were underway to boost cargo and passenger movement, improve last-mile connectivity and promote economic growth in the region. The Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways was speaking after reviewing ongoing projects in Assam and other northeastern states with senior officials of the ministry, Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI), Public Works Department (PWD), Indian Port Rail and Ropeway Corporation Limited (IPRCL) and Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL). "In the last two years, more than Rs 1,000 crore has been invested, with Rs 300 crore worth of projects already completed... We are on track to complete the remaining Rs 700 crore projects by the end of 2025," Sonowal said. Projects worth an additional Rs 1,000 crore are on the anvil, target

French shipping company CMA CGM launches vessel under Indian flag

First foreign firm to fly the Indian flag on its vessel

India's largest cruise terminal starts operations at Mumbai port

Shipping minister Sonowal flagged off cruise ops at Mumbai Terminal

LS clears Coastal Shipping Bill 2024 to boost maritime trade: Sonowal

The Lok Sabha passed the Coastal Shipping Bill, 2024, paving the way for a dedicated legal framework for coastal trade as the maritime sector aims to provide a economical, reliable and sustainable mode of transportation as it decongest road and rail network."The Bill seeks to unlock the full potential of India's vast and strategic coastline, providing dedicated legal framework for coastal trade," asserted Sarbananda Sonowal, the Union Minister of Ports, Shipping & Waterways (MoPSW) as he introduced the bill in the Lower House earlier in the day.The Coastal Shipping Bill, 2024 aims to make coastal trade easier, more competitive, and better integrated with Prime Minister Narendra Modi Govt's overall transport vision -- the National Logistics Policy. With its manifold forward looking provisions, the bill provides a future ready legal framework while upgrading the dated provision of earlier legislations like Merchant Shipping Act, 1958. The proposed bill introduces key provisions ...

Govt moves Bill to remove licence need for Indian coastal shippers

Opposition claims bill promotes centralisation of power

Sarbananda Sonowal to move Coastal Shipping Bill in Lok Sabha today

The bill will be moved to consolidate and amend the law relating to regulation of coastal shipping to encourage the trade and ensure that the country is equipped with a coastal fleet

Centre introduces Indian Ports Bill 2025 to amend 117-year-old legislation

After previous opposition from states, bill takes reconciliatory approach on port powers, officials say

Govt unveils consortium of public sector companies to operate global ports

Move to streamline logistics, strengthen supply chain: Sonowal

Govt to spend Rs 4,800 cr for waterways development in Assam: Sonowal

Union minister Sarbananda Sonowal said on Wednesday that the Centre will spend Rs 4,800 crore for developing waterways and related infrastructure in Assam in the next five years. The ports, shipping and waterways minister was speaking at a session on the state's road, railway and riverine infrastructure at the 'Advantage Assam 2.0 Investment and Infrastructure Summit' here. "I want to announce that in the next five years, Rs 4,800 crore will be spent by my ministry in Assam," Sonowal said. The amount will be spent on various works, like building a ship repair facility, construction of alternate roads for ports and development of terminals. Sonowal said a centre of excellence in maritime education will also be established in the state, which will provide 5,000 skilled youth to the shipping industry annually. The union minister also highlighted the importance of waterways in economic development and maintained that the sector has received a major boost since the BJP-led government t

Sonowal launches projects worth Rs 2,000 cr to expand capacity at JNPA

Union Ports, Shipping and Waterways minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Tuesday launched multiple projects worth nearly Rs 2,000 crore in order to expand capacity at the Jawaharlal Nehru Port (JNPA), according to an official statement. The statement further said JNPA is amongst top global ports and India's largest port. It has crossed 10+ million TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent unit) capacity in January 2025 and is poised to achieve 10 million TEUs throughput by 2027. In 2024, the port handled highest ever container volume of 7.05 million TEUs, performing at more than 90 per cent capacity, it added. According to the statement, it had an annual growth of 11 per cent Y-o-Y last year as compared to the previous calendar year. "The upgradation of Nhava Sheva Freeport Terminal (NSFT) in 2025 is also likely to add capacity to the port," the statement said. Major MoUs (memorandums of understanding) were signed in the presence of Sonowal for the development of the Vadhavan Port Project. "A MoU .

Cargo handling capacity reached 133 MMT in last 10 yrs: Sarbananda Sonowal

Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal informed that cargo handling capacity has reached 133 million metric tonnes in the last ten years.Speaking at the 2nd Inland Waterways Development Council (IWDC) meeting in Kaziranga a day earlier, Sonowal said,"In the last 10 years, our cargo handling capacity has reached 133 million metric tonnes... More than Rs 60,000 crores of investment have been made in our National Waterways... In the inaugural session of the Inland Waterways Development Council, we inaugurated projects worth Rs 1400 crores for 21 states of our country...," he said."We aim to increase our cargo capacity to 200 million metric tonnes by 2030 and invest more than Rs 50,000 crore in this sector in the next 5 years...," the minister added.The IWDC, the apex body for policy deliberation on the promotion & propagation of inland waterways in India, witnessed major announcements to boost infrastructure along national waterways on Friday.The meeting also witnessed ministerial ...

Union Minister Sonowal launches National River Traffic & Navigation System

The Inland Waterways Development Council (IWDC), apex meet for policy deliberation for the promotion and propagation of inland waterways in India, witnessed major announcements to boost infrastructure along national waterways, a release said on Friday.According to the release, the second meeting of IWDC, organised by the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI), the nodal agency for the development of waterways under the Ministry of Ports, Shipping & Waterways (MoPSW), announced investments of more than RS 50,000 crore in the next five years. A series of new initiatives across 21 Inland Waterway States were announced worth more than Rs 1400 crore, on the occasion. The meeting was presided over by the Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Sarbananda Sonowal.The IWDC began with a traditional lamp lighting ceremony by the Chief Minister of Assam, Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma along with the Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Sarbananda Sonowal at Kohora in ...

India aims to be a maritime power by 2030, says Sarbananda Sonowal

The Union Cabinet had approved the project in October, even though it had been in the works much earlier. Currently, its physical progress stands at 60 per cent

Minister Sarbananda Sonowal pays tribute to martyrs of Assam movement

From 1979 to 1985, Assamese people fought against infiltrators... I pay my tributes to all those who sacrificed their lives for their country in the Assam movement, he said

Hindi has potential to unite country: Union minister Sarbananda Sonowal

Speaking at the 83rd convocation of Dakshina Bharat Hindi Prachar Sabha, Union Minister Sonowal said that Hindi was a unifying factor, which could unite the nation

Sonowal seeks apology from Congress for its 'total failure' in Northeast

Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Friday sought an apology from the Congress for its "total failure" in bringing development in the Northeast. He also said that the Northeast has now become a place of peace and prosperity under 10-year rule of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Addressing a press conference here, Sonowal said during the long rule of Congress governments -- both at the Centre and in the eight state governments of the Northeast -- the region remained backward with little or no development. "It was a total failure of the Congress. The Congress should seek forgiveness from the people of the Northeast. I demand an apology from the Congress," he said. However, under the Narendra Modi government, the Northeast has seen all round development with construction of roads, highways, bridges, airports, railway lines, ports, AIIMS, higher education institutions among others. "Because of the initiatives taken by the prime minister and Home Minister Amit Shah, most of the insurgen