Charting the Course: India's Sagarmala Initiative for Maritime Transformation

 Sagarmala Project

Sagarmala is the flagship Central Sector Scheme of the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW) to promote port-led development in India. It aims to harness India's 7,517 km long coastline, 14,500 km of potentially navigable waterways, and strategic location on key international maritime trade routes. The main vision is to reduce logistics costs for EXIM and domestic trade with minimal infrastructure investment.

Objectives and Implementation

The Sagarmala program was launched on 25th March 2015 with the following key objectives:

1. Port modernization & new port development
2. Port connectivity enhancement
3. Port-led industrialization 
4. Coastal community development
5. Coastal shipping & IWT

The program follows a stepped approach, initially focusing on implementing maritime projects through Public-Private Partnership (PPP) mode wherever feasible. Projects with high socio-economic benefits but low financial returns are being implemented through funding support under Sagarmala.

Funding Guidelines and Financial Assistance

• As per the revised guidelines issued on 5th April 2023, Sagarmala funding is limited to 50% of the estimated project cost as per DPR (Detailed Project Report) or tendered cost, whichever is lower.
• However, 100% funding can be provided for unique/strategic projects based on factors like necessity, merits, financial condition of the port, etc. with approval from the Minister in-charge.

Financial assistance is provided to state governments and other MoPSW agencies for various projects including:

• Port infrastructure and coastal berth projects
• Road & rail connectivity to ports
• Fishing harbours 
• Skill development projects
• Coastal community development
• Cruise terminals
• Unique projects like Ro-Pax (roll-on/roll-off passenger)) ferry services

Progress and Achievements

• 802 projects worth Rs 5.48 lakh crore targeted for execution by 2035 under Sagarmala
• 194 projects worth Rs 99,000 crore completed
• 29 PPP projects worth Rs 45,000 crore implemented, reducing burden on exchequer
• 218 projects worth Rs 2.12 lakh crore under construction, to be completed in 2 years
• 390 projects worth Rs 2.37 lakh crore in development pipeline

Quality of service has improved, with turnaround time for containers at ports reducing from 44.7 hours in 2013-14 to 26.58 hours currently. Port capacity has doubled from 800 Million Tonnes Per Annum (MTPA)  to 1617 MTPA through modernization under Sagarmala.

Skill Development Initiatives 

• Centre of Excellence in Maritime and Shipbuilding (CEMS) - Trained over 5,000 candidates in 50+ courses
• National Technology Centre for Ports, Waterways and Coasts (NTCPWC) at IIT Madras - Over 70 research & technical support projects
• Centre for Inland and Coastal Maritime Technology (CICMT) at IIT Kharagpur 
• Multi Skill Development Centres at JNPT and Chennai Port - 1,200 candidates trained
• Over 35,000 candidates trained at Alang ship recycling yard
• Convergence with rural development schemes like DDU-GKY to skill coastal communities - Over 1,900 trained

Port Connectivity Initiatives

Around 80 projects are focused on:

• Port connectivity infrastructure
• Freight-friendly expressways for efficient container movement on key routes
• Development of strategic inland waterways like Ganga (Jal Marg Vikas), Krishna, Brahmaputra etc.

Major efforts include developing fairway, terminals, navigation locks on rivers like Ganga, Brahmaputra and Krishna.

Port-led Industrialization

This aims to boost industrial and export growth along the coastline through:

• Development of 14 Coastal Economic Zones (CEZs)
• A new deep draft port at Vadhavan, Maharashtra for handling ultra large container vessels

Smart Port Initiatives

Several steps are being taken to transition major ports to smart ports:

• Port Community System
• Logistics Data Bank Service 
• Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) solutions
• Enterprise Business Systems
• Direct Port Delivery (DPD) / Direct Port Entry (DPE)
• Installation of container/cargo scanners
• Simplification of procedures

Policy Initiatives for Coastal Shipping

Several policy measures have been taken to promote coastal shipping and inland waterways:

• Relaxation of licensing norms for foreign flag vessels for coastal operations
• Extension of licensing relaxation for special vessels like Ro-Ros, car carriers, LNG vessels
• Coastal berth scheme to provide infrastructure funding
• Minimum 40% discount by major ports on vessel/cargo charges for coastal shipping
• 111 new National Waterways declared in addition to existing ones

Ro-Ro Services

Future Vision

1. Maritime India Vision 2030 - Lays the roadmap for the next decade, focusing on enhancing global competitiveness and environmental responsibility of India's maritime sector.
2. Maritime AmritKaal Vision 2047 - Presents a comprehensive vision for transforming India into a global maritime power by 2047 through sustainable development of the maritime sector.

The visions articulate India's aspirations to unleash its maritime potential as a catalyst for economic growth through progress, innovation and responsible stewardship.

Other Highlights

• Ministry of Shipping unveiled a tableau at the 2024 Republic Day parade showcasing achievements under Sagarmala like efficiency gains, capacity addition and the focus on women seafarers as part of the 'Nari Shakti Driving the Blue Economy' theme.
• A mobile application of Sagarmala was launched by the Minister. 
• Efforts are on to enhance participation of women in the maritime workforce with a 1100% increase in number of women seafarers over the last 9 years.
• Development of cruise tourism is being prioritized to showcase India's rich maritime heritage under schemes like Swadesh Darshan.

So in summary, the Sagarmala program is a holistic initiative aimed at unlocking the full potential of India's maritime sector through strategic port-led infrastructure development, policy support, technological adoption and skill upgradation across the coastal territories.