As per information provided to Parliament, the Centre’s Sagarmala programme has seen the completion of 272 projects, with a total worth of around Rs. 1.41 lakh crores. Out of these, 103 projects under the “modernisation pillar” have increased the country’s port capacity by more than 528 million tonnes per annum. The Sagarmala programme, led by the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, aims to promote port-led development by utilizing India’s vast coastline and strategic position on international maritime trade routes.
Under the Sagarmala Programme, a total of 839 projects worth Rs. 5.79 lakh crores have been included, categorized into five pillars including port modernisation, port connectivity, port-led industrialisation, coastal community development, and coastal shipping & inland water transport. These projects are being implemented by various central ministries, Indian Railways, state governments, major ports, and other relevant authorities.
A key focus of the Sagarmala programme is the Coastal Community Development pillar, aimed at improving the livelihood opportunities and living standards of coastal communities through skill development and capacity building. As part of this initiative, a comprehensive skill gap study was conducted across 21 coastal districts in 9 states and 3 Union Territories, including Odisha and Tamil Nadu. Additionally, efforts are being made to train and skill the coastal population through initiatives like the DDU-GKY Sagarmala Convergence Programme. Plans are in place to develop four port clusters with capacities exceeding 300 million tonnes per annum, along with two mega ports to be developed by the year 2047.
