India is stepping up investments in ports, inland waterways and shipbuilding, with the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW) targeting more than 700 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) of additional port capacity by 2030 as part of its long-term strategy to strengthen the country’s maritime infrastructure and global trade competitiveness.
The ambitious expansion programme will be driven by new port projects, mechanisation, public-private partnerships (PPPs), digitisation and a renewed push to build India into a major shipbuilding hub.
Sonowal reviews flagship projects
Union Minister for Ports, Shipping & Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal has directed officials to fast-track implementation of flagship projects while ensuring strict adherence to timelines.
Reviewing the Ministry’s progress, Sonowal asked officials from the Ministry, major ports and the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) to adopt a coordinated approach to achieve India’s long-term maritime ambitions.
He also stressed the need to build greater resilience into the sector amid evolving geopolitical uncertainties, saying future planning should anticipate global disruptions while keeping India’s growth trajectory on course.
700 MTPA expansion pipeline
The Ministry is pursuing one of the country’s largest-ever port infrastructure expansion programmes.
Among the marquee projects is the Vadhavan Port, which is expected to add 164 MTPA of capacity by 2030-31. Other major projects include the Tuticorin Outer Harbour, which will contribute 39 MTPA, and the Kandla Tuna Tekra Terminal, expected to add 33 MTPA by 2027-28.
Overall, the Ministry plans to create 682 MTPA of additional capacity by 2030 through new infrastructure, mechanisation and operational improvements.
The expansion plan includes:306 MTPA at major ports, 193 MTPA at key non-major ports and 183 MTPA through mechanisation, operational efficiency improvements, PPP projects and capacity augmentation at emerging ports.
Private investment to play bigger role
The government is increasingly relying on private capital to expand port infrastructure.
Cargo handled through public-private partnership (PPP) projects is expected to increase sharply to 85% by 2030-31, compared with 44% in 2013-14.
Meanwhile, cargo handling mechanisation across ports is targeted to rise from 76% in FY26 to 93% by 2030, helping improve productivity and reduce vessel turnaround times.
The Ministry also aims to achieve 100% digitisation of the maritime ecosystem by 2030 to improve logistics efficiency, transparency and service delivery.
Waterways exceed 2030 target early
The review highlighted that India’s inland waterways have already crossed 200 million tonnes of cargo movement, achieving the Maritime India Vision (MIV) 2030 target several years ahead of schedule.
India has also emerged as the world’s largest ship recycling nation, underlining the country’s growing prominence across multiple segments of the maritime economy.
Shipbuilding gets fresh momentum
Alongside port development, the government is accelerating efforts to build a globally competitive shipbuilding industry.
Domestic shipbuilding output increased 41%, rising from 40,923 gross tonnes (GT) in 2024 to 57,637 GT in 2025.
The Centre has granted in-principle approvals for greenfield shipbuilding clusters in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Gujarat, each with a planned capacity of 1.2 million GT. Similar approvals for Maharashtra and Odisha are expected later this year.
In another key development, the government has signed a tripartite Memorandum of Understanding with HD Hyundai-KSOE to develop a shipbuilding cluster in Tamil Nadu while extending full financial support for common maritime infrastructure.
The review also noted that the average contract value per vessel built in India has increased more than fivefold to ₹212 crore from ₹41 crore, indicating a shift towards building larger and technologically advanced vessels.