Parliament Question: Logistics and marine infrastructure

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF PORTS, SHIPPING AND WATERWAYS RAJYA SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1276 ANSWERED ON 10.02.2026 LOGISTICS AND MARINE INFRASTRUCTURE 1276. SHRI TEJVEER SINGH: Will the Minister of PORTS, SHIPPING AND WATERWAYS be pleased to state: (a) the steps taken recently to accelerate port-based development under the PM Gati Shakti and Sagarmala programs; (b) the details of new policy initiatives related to inland waterways and green shipping; and (c) the improvements achieved so far in logistics costs and cargo handling capacity as a result of these efforts? ANSWER MINISTER OF PORTS, SHIPPING AND WATERWAYS (SHRI SARBANANDA SONOWAL) (a) The steps taken by the Government to accelerate port-based development under PM GatiShaktiinclude mapping of 26 data layers along with relevant attributes of all the operational ports across the country on the Geographic Information System (GIS) based PM GatiShakti National Master Plan (PMGS-NMP) Portal. This enables integrated planning of infrastructure, technology intervention,policy reformand identification of critical road and rail last mile connectivity projects. Sagarmala programme focuses on implementation of projects related to enhancement ofports capacity, connectivity and efficiency for promoting port-led development. The key areas of focus includeport modernisation&mechanisation, strengthening last-mile road and rail connectivity, coastal community development, and promotion of multimodal logistics parks. The programme also emphasizes integration of ports with coastal shipping and inland waterways to reduce the logistics cost and improve overall supply chain efficiency. (b) The policy initiatives related to inland waterways are as under: (i) The National Waterways (Construction of Jetties/Terminals) Regulations, 2025 have been notified to enable private and public participation in jetty and terminal development and boosting inland waterways infrastructure. Under these regulations, Jal Samriddhiportal has been developedto facilitate online applications of no objection certificate (NOC) for construction and operation of jetties and terminals on national waterways.(ii) ‘Jalyan and Navic' Central database portal was launched in the year 2025 for registration, survey of vessels, and crew training and certification under the Inland Vessels Act, 2021. (iii) Jalvahak - Cargo Promotion Scheme has been implementedfor providing 35% incentive to promote the utilization of inland waterways cargo transport and for establishing scheduled service for cargo movement on National Waterways (NW)-1, NW-2 and NW-16 via Indo-Bangladesh Protocol route. As regards the green shipping, the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways launched ‘HaritSagar’ Green Port Guidelines in May 2023 to reduce carbon footprints and to develop an environment friendly ecosystem at major ports. The ministry also introducedGreen Tug Transition Program (GTTP) in August 2024 to drive transition from conventional fuel-based harbour tugs to greener ones being more sustainable alternatives for environmental sustainability. (c) As a result of reforms and initiative, the combined cargo handling capacity of the major ports increased from 555million metric tonesper annum (MTPA) in the financial year (FY) 2013-14 to 1,681MTPAin FY 2024-25. Further, container vessel turnaround time significantly reduced from 41.76 hours in the year 2013-14 to 28.5 hours in the year 2024-25. Similarly, cargo movement through inland waterways, a cheaper mode of transport, has gained momentum and it has increased from 18.07 MMT in the year 2013-14 to 145.84 MMT in FY 2024-25. *****