Sagarmala Project

To promote port-led direct and indirect development and to provide infrastructure to transport goods to and from ports quickly, efficiently and cost-effectively, the government of India Ministry of Shipping) launched Sagarmala Project. Sagarmala Project is a port-led development programme of Ministry of Shipping. It also includes the establishment of rail/road linkages with the port terminals, thus providing last mile connectivity to ports, development of linkages with new regions, enhanced multi-modal connectivity including rail, inland water, coastal and road services. Union Government had launched Sagarmala Project with a view to achieving the broad objective of promoting port-led economic development in India. The ambitious programme seeks to harness the vast potential of India’s 7,500 km long coastline, 14,500 km of potentially navigable waterways and strategic location on key international maritime trade routes. It envisages the growth of coastal and inland shipping as a major mode of transport for carriage of goods and people along the coastal and riverine economic centers

Three Pillars of Sagarmala Project:

1. Supporting and enabling Port-led Development through appropriate policy, institutional interventions, providing for an institutional framework for ensuring inter-agency and Ministries/Departments/States collaboration for integrated development
2. Port Infrastructure Enhancement, including modernization and setting up of new ports
3. Efficient Evacuation to and from hinterland

What is Sagarmala Project?

1. The Sagarmala Programme is Union Government’s flagship strategic, customer-oriented initiative to achieve the broad objective of promoting port-led economic development in India
2. The ambitious programme seeks to harness vast potential of India’s 7,500 km long coastline, 14,500 km of potentially navigable waterways and strategic location on key international maritime trade routes
3. It envisages the growth of coastal and inland shipping as a major mode of transport for carriage of goods and people along the coastal and riverine economic centers
4. Sagarmala, when integrated with the development of inland waterways, will help to reduce cost and time for transporting goods, benefiting industries and export/import trade

Importance of Sagarmala Project:

1. Currently, 95% of India’s trade by value and 70 % by volume take place through maritime transport.
2. India is lacking the high quantity of international trade via coastal line due to the lack of infrastructure facilities and advanced coastal technologies.
3. The cost of shipping/evacuating goods through Indian maritime transport is quite high compared to that of China, South Korea, Japan and other developed countries. This makes Indian goods uncompetitive in the international market.
4. China, South Korea and Japan have effectively used their coastline for ‘port-led development’. India has to replicate their model to stay competitive.
5. So, a plan has to be devised to reduce logistics cost and strengthen India’s EXIM industry. Sagarmala Project is one such plan.

Objectives of Sagarmala Project:

1. Port Led Development: Undertake development of Coastal economic zones with projects like port based industrialization, coastal tourism, Logistics parks, warehousing, fisheries etc.
2. Port Infrastructure Enhancement: Action points on transforming existing ports into world-class ports by developing deep drafts, mechanization of existing berths, creation of new capacity & Greenfield ports
3. Efficient Evacuation: Expansion of rail/road network/inland waterways connected to ports & identification of congested routes

List of development Projects undertaken in Sagarmala initiative:

1. Port-led industrialization
2. Port-based urbanization
3. Port-based and coastal tourism and recreational activities
4. Short-sea shipping coastal shipping and Inland Waterways Transportation
5. Shipbuilding, ship repair, and ship recycling
6. Logistics parks, warehousing, maritime zones/services
7. Integration with hinterland hubs
8. Offshore storage, drilling platforms
9. Specialization of ports in certain economic activities such as energy, containers, chemicals, coal, agro products, etc.
10. Offshore Renewable Energy Projects with base ports for installations
11. Modernizing the existing ports and development of new ports

References & Details:

1. For more details about Sagarmala Project visit official site: http://shipping.nic.in/index.php
2. http://shipping.nic.in/index1.php?lang=1&level=0&linkid=99&lid=2332
3. Download pdf about sagrmala project: http://pibphoto.nic.in/documents/rlink/2016/apr/p201641402.pdf
4. http://pib.nic.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=117691