Parliament Question: Global Partnerships in Ports, Shipping and Maritime Logistics

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF PORTS, SHIPPING AND WATERWAYS LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4762 ANSWERED ON 20.03.2026 GLOBAL PARTNERSHIPS IN PORTS, SHIPPING AND MARITIME LOGISTICS 4762. SHRI BIPLAB KUMAR DEB: Will the Minister of PORTS, SHIPPING AND WATERWAYS be pleased to state: प(cid:517)न,पोत प(cid:303)रवहन और जलमाग(cid:330) मं(cid:361)ी (a) whether the Government has engaged with foreign countries or industry representatives to explore international partnerships in ports, shipping and maritime logistics, and if so, the details thereof; (b) the reforms undertaken to modernise the country's port legislation, maritime services and sectoral governance; and (c) whether the Government has considered any technological or operational improvements to strengthen maritime activities, if so, the details thereof? ANSWER MINISTER OF PORTS, SHIPPING AND WATERWAYS (SHRI SARBANANDA SONOWAL) (a) Yes, the Government has been actively engaging with foreign Governments, multilateral organisations and global maritime industry partners for collaboration in ports, shipping and maritime logistics. These include partnerships for port modernisation, development of shipping infrastructure, green shipping initiatives, digitization and maritime skill development. Notable recent engagements includeIndia- Russia partnership to explore Northern Sea Route, Eastern Maritime Corridor & training of Indian Seafarers in Polar Waters, India partnership with Denmark for Digital Centre of Excellence in Green Shipping and India-Singapore partnership for Green & Digital Shipping Corridor. Further, Deendayal Port Authority, Kandlahas collaborated with Port of Rotterdam for setting up technically advanced, state of the art supply side facilities including storage, handling, transportation and dispatch facilities for green hydrogen/green ammonia and derivatives. Foreign Direct Investment(FDI) is also allowed in port sector in India. DP World, UAEcurrently operates container terminals at various locations,such as,Jawaharlal Nehru Port in Maharashtra, Cochin Port in Kerala, Chennai Port inTamil Nadu. Further, DP World is also developing a container terminal at Tuna Tekra, Deendayal Port in state of Gujarat. Similarly, PSA Singapore operates terminals at Jawaharlal Nehru Port in Maharashtra. The Government, through Joint Working Group meetings/bilateral meetings and Memorandumof Understanding/ letter of Intent etc.has engaged with maritime countries, like Norway, Netherlands, Denmark, Italy, South Korea, Singapore, Japan, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Oman etc. toexplore avenues for possible collaboration.Global Maritime India Summit 2025, which was organised in Mumbai during 27–31 October 2025,elicited participation from over 93 countries, and involved more than 1,00,000 delegates and stakeholders. (b)to (c)Key new maritime sector legislations that have been enacted recentlyare:  Merchant Shipping Act, 2025  Coastal Shipping Act, 2025  Indian Ports Act, 2025  Bills of Lading Act, 2025  Carriage of Goods by Sea Act, 2025  Marine Aids to Navigation Act, 2021,  Inland Vessel Act, 2021  The Major Port Authorities Act, 2021 These legislations and various projects have been undertaken for technological, operational and capacity enhancement to strengthen cargo handling at ports, coastal shipping, cruise tourism and fisheries etc. Projects worth more than Rs 40,000 crores to enhance the capacity and efficiency of Major Ports have been completed in the last ten years. Further, to strengthen digitalization, green shipping and maritime innovation across ports and waterways, several initiatives that have been undertaken are as follows: Digitalization efforts across ports and waterways are focused on standardizing procedures, reducing manual interventions, and improving information exchange between stakeholders.The One Nation One Port Process initiativehas been undertaken to standardize documentation processes and re-engineer operational steps to lower transaction volumes and reduce cargo processing times. Other initiatives such as, the Maritime Single Window (SagarSetu), e-Samudra, e-Pariksha, and Jalyan&Navic are strengthening IT systems, to increase operational efficiency in maritime sector. Measures have been undertakento support environmental objectives in maritime sector. “HaritSagar” Green Port guidelines, launched in 2023 provide a framework to Indian ports for reducing carbon footprint. Other measuresincludeadoption of alternate fuels, low/zero-emission equipment, and integration of renewable energy. Three major ports have been recognized by Ministry of New and Renewable Energyas Green Hydrogen hub ports, and the Green Tug Transition Programmeoutlines a phased shift from conventional diesel powered tugs to low-emission alternatives. Further, the Government of India, approved a comprehensive package of ₹69,725 Crore to revitalize the country’s shipbuilding and maritime ecosystem. The initiative adopts a four-pillar approach aimed at developing a globally competitive, technologically advanced, and sustainable maritime sector. These include Shipbuilding Financial Assistance Scheme, Maritime Development Fund, Shipbuilding Development Scheme and policy, technology and institutional reforms. National Shipbuilding Mission isthe nodal body for coordination, implementation and monitoring of all initiatives under this framework. *****