16-Dec-2022: Survey and preparation of Detailed Project Report for seven High Speed Rail corridors has been undertaken

At present, the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail (MAHSR) Project is the only sanctioned High Speed Rail project in the country which is being implemented with technical and financial assistance from Government of Japan. Further, the Survey and preparation of Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the following seven (7) High Speed Rail (HSR) corridors has been undertaken:

1. Delhi - Varanasi
2. Delhi -Ahmedabad
3. Mumbai-Nagpur
4. Mumbai -Hyderabad
5. Chennai - Bangalore - Mysore
6. Delhi - Chandigarh - Amritsar
7. Varanasi – Howrah

Further, the Government has given “in-principle” approval for pre-investment activity for the following two Semi High Speed Rail (SHSR) Projects:-

1. Thiruvananthapuram to Kasaragod Semi High Speed Rail (Silverline) Project on Standard Gauge; and
2. Pune-Nasik Semi High Speed Rail Project on Broad Gauge Line.

Both the Semi High Speed Rail (SHSR) projects are to be executed by Joint Venture company naming Kerala Rail Development Corporation Limited (KRDCL) and Maharashtra Rail Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (MRIDC) of the State Governments of Kerala and Maharashtra respectively.

11-Feb-2022: High Speed Rail Corridors

Presently, the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail is the only sanctioned High Speed Rail project in the Country being executed with technical & financial assistance of Government of Japan. The current status of Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail (MAHSR) Project is as under:-

• All Statutory Clearances relating to wildlife, Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) and Forest clearance have been obtained.
• Out of total land requirement of approx. 1396 ha., about 1193 ha. Land has been acquired.
• The entire project has been divided into 27 Contract packages. At present, 12 packages have been awarded, 3 are under evaluation and Tenders has been invited for 4 packages.
• Out of total 352 KM length in Gujarat and Dadra & Nagar Haveli (DNH), civil works in 342 KM length have started.

The anticipated cost increase and timeline can be fully ascertained only after completion of land acquisition and finalisation of all contracts.

Further, the Ministry of Railways (MoR) has decided to undertake survey and prepare the Detailed Project Report (DPR) for seven High Speed Rail Corridors as under:-

1. Delhi - Varanasi.
2. Delhi - Amritsar.
3. Delhi - Ahmedabad.
4. Mumbai - Nagpur.
5. Mumbai - Hyderabad.
6. Chennai - Bangalore - Mysore.
7. Varanasi – Howrah.

16-Dec-2022: Modernization of Ports

As a part of Sagarmala Programme, more than 800 projects at an estimated cost of around Rs. 5.4 lakh crore have been identified. Sagarmala projects includes projects from various categories such as modernisation of existing ports and terminals, new ports, terminals, RoRo & tourism jetties, enhancement of port connectivity, inland waterways, lighthouse tourism, industrialization around port, skill development, technology centres, etc. These projects are broadly classified into five pillars of Sagarmala

Under the port modernization pillar, 241 projects at cost of around Rs. 2.5 Lakh Cr. have been undertaken for implementation. Ministry is partially funding 20 port modernization projects at an estimated cost of Rs. 1,191 Cr. Out of total 20 projects, 4 projects worth Rs. 157 Cr. have been completed and 11 projects worth Rs. 868 Cr. are under implementation.

In Paradip Port, 4 major capacity addition infrastructure projects worth Rs. 3264 Cr. have been implemented in last 7 years. These projects have increased the capacity of port by 55 MTPA.

Additionally, Deepening and optimization of inner harbour facilities including development of Western Dock on BOT basis to Handle Cape Size Vessels at an estimated cost of Rs. 3004.63 Cr. has been awarded.

Gopalpur is a notified Non- Major Ports in the State of Odisha. Non- Major Ports are under the administrative control of the respective State Governments. Government of Odisha has informed that Gopalpur Port is developed & operational by Gopalpur Ports Limited (GPL) through PPP mode on BOOST basis. Hence, it is the responsibility of GPL to modernize and to augment the capacity of Gopalpur Port.

8-Apr-2022: JNPA highlights Sagarmala projects undertaken on the completion of Seven years of Sagarmala

Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority (JNPA), organized a media meet chaired by Chairman, JNPA Sanjay Sethi, on the completion of seven years of Sagarmala, in Mumbai today 08th April 2022. Sagarmala is the flagship programme of the Ministry of Shipping initiated by the Government of India in 2015.

Speaking on the occasion, Chairman, JNPA, said, “JNPA plays a pivotal role in the government’s initiative of the Sagarmala to boost the port-led industrialization. JNPA has multiple projects under Sagarmala based on the four-fold view- to change dynamics and reduce logistics costs in India, boost overall economic development through ports and empower coastal communities put across by the ministry.”

Due to the immense potential in Maharashtra’s coastal region, 131 projects worth Rs. 1.05 lakh crore have been proposed to be implemented in Maharashtra. “Of the 131 projects, 29 projects have been taken up by JNPA. Projects taken up by JNPA amount to Rs. 80,000 Crore,” said Shri Sethi. He also informed that the rest of the projects are in the process of implementation.

The Chairman also mentioned that JNPA’s projects will foster for port’s ease of doing business and take Indian EXIM to greater heights. JNPA’s projects include the fourth container terminal, JNPA SEZ, Dry Ports at Wardha and Jalna, additional liquid cargo jetty among others.

JNPA has undertaken various projects aligning with the five pillars of the Sagarmala Programme: Port Modernization & New Port Development, Port Connectivity Enhancement, Port Led Industrialization, Coastal Community Development and Coastal Shipping.

Sagarmala Programme: Maritime infrastructure plays a vital role in the nation’s economy. Aligning with the Maritime India Vision 2030, Sagarmala initiatives will further boost infrastructure and drive investments to improve regional connectivity to aid trade. The Sagarmala initiative has successfully enabled the Indian ports to handle large volumes by making them more efficient and reducing the turnaround time of containers. Numerous projects have been undertaken across various categories such as port modernization, rail, road, cruise tourism, RORO, ROPAX, fisheries, coastal infrastructure and skill development.

During the conference, a video and presentation on the numerous projects undertaken by JNPA under Sagarmala Programme were presented to the media, followed by an interactive session with the Chairman.

About JNPA: The Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority (JNPA) at Navi Mumbai is one of the premier container handling ports in India. Commissioned on 26th May 1989, in less than three decades of its operations, JNPA has transformed from a bulk-cargo terminal to become the premier container port in the country.

Currently JNPA operates five container terminals: The Jawaharlal Nehru Port Container Terminal (JNPCT), the Nhava Sheva International Container Terminal (NSICT), the Gateway Terminals India Pvt. Ltd. (GTIPL), Nhava Sheva International Gateway Terminal (NSIGT) and the newly commissioned Bharat Mumbai Container Terminals Private Limited (BMCTPL). The Port also has a Shallow Water Berth for general cargo and another Liquid Cargo Terminal which is managed by BPCL-IOCL consortium and newly constructed coastal berth.

5-Apr-2022: Private Investment in Maritime Infrastructure

Currently, there are 46 Public Private Partnership (PPP) Projects at an estimated investment of Rs. 36765.58 crore at the major ports. Under Sagarmala Programme, which was started in 2015, there are 123 PPP projects at an estimated investment of Rs. 2.63 lakh Cr. Out of 123 projects, 29 PPP projects with investment of Rs. 44,961 Cr. have been completed and additional 31 PPP projects worth Rs. 50,942 Cr. are currently under implementation. Remaining projects are at various stages of development.

Several measures have been introduced to attract foreign investment in Indian Maritime sector such as:

1. Bidding documents like Request for Qualification (RFQ), Request for Proposal (RFP) and Model Concession Agreement (MCA) have been standardized. MCA has also been time to time revised to adapt the dynamic business environment.
2. Upto 100% Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) under the automatic route allowed for Port development projects.
3. Income-tax incentives allowed as per section 80-IA of Income Tax Act, 1961- 100% income tax exemption was available for a period of any 10 consecutive assessment years out of fifteen years beginning from the year in which the enterprise starts the development or operation and maintenance of the infrastructure facility till 1.04.2017.
4. Consequent upon the new Major Port Authority Act, 2021 coming in vogue w.e.f. November 3, 2021, new PPP Concessionaires now have the liberty to frame their own scale of rates for any/all services (including combination of services) they perform/provide to their users/customers.
5. Various technological/digital inductions are introduced to maintain smooth functioning without human interference viz, E-invoice, E-payment, and E-DO at PCS1x.
6. The formation of SAROD-Ports aims at enhancing confidence of concessionaire and promoting ease of doing business in the Maritime Sector

There are 12 Major Ports and about 200 non-major ports in the country.  The 12 Major Ports are under the administrative control of the Ministry of Ports, Shipping & Waterways. The non-major ports including private ports are under the overall jurisdiction of the respective State Governments. Operation and maintenance of the Berths/Terminals at Major Ports are being done on Public Private Partnership (PPP) mode on case to case basis.

At present there is no specialized Maritime fund to support inland waterway operations and vessel financing.

25-Mar-2022: Sagarmala – Seven years of Spectacular Success

Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways organized an event to commemorate successful seven years of Sagarmala program. The highlight of the event was showcasing the exemplary performance, the flagship program of Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways has achieved during the last 7 years. The mobile application of Sagarmala was launched by Union Minister, Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW) Shri Sarbananda Sonowal in the presence Minister of State, Shri Shripad Naik; Minister of State, Shri Shantanu Thakur; Secretary, Dr. Sanjeev Ranjan and other senior officials and dignitaries.

Speaking on the occasion Shri Sarbananda Sonowal said under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, the Sagarmala program was launched with the objective to improve ports’ efficiency. He said Quality service delivery has made Turnaround Time (containers) at Ports come down to 26.58 hours from 44.70 hours in 2013-14

The Minister said the report card of Ministry showcases 802 projects worth Rs. 5.48 lakh Crore under the Sagarmala program targeted to be executed by 2035 out of which 194 projects worth Rs. 99,000 Crore have been completed. A total of 29 projects worth Rs. 45,000 Crore have been successfully implemented under PPP model, thus, reducing the financial burden on the exchequer. Further, there are 218 projects worth Rs. 2.12 lakh Crore under construction and expected to be completed in 2 years’ time. This apart, 390 projects worth Rs. 2.37 Lakh Crore are under development pipeline.

Shri Sonowal also mentioned about the skill centers developed under Sagarmala. Centre of Excellence in Maritime and Shipbuilding (CEMS) which has trained over 5000 candidates in 50+ courses since inception. National Technology Centre for Ports, Waterways and Coasts (NTCPWC) at IIT Madras has carried out more than 70 research and technical support projects related to ports and waterways. Centre for Inland and Coastal Maritime Technology (CICMT) at IIT Kharagpur has been set up to provide research, testing and experimentation facility to IWAI, shipyards and ports. Multi Skill Development Centres (MSDC) for training are already operational at the premises of Jawaharlal Nehru Port and Chennai Port Authorities in which 1200 candidates have been trained. Also, more than 35,000 candidates have undergone training at Safety Training and Welfare Institution, Alang. Additionally, Deen Dayal Upadhyay- Grameen Kaushalya Yojna Sagarmala Convergence Programme, under Ministry of Rural Development, to enable skilling of coastal population, trained more than 1,900 candidates, he added.

Port connectivity, another important element of the program, has 80 projects under its ambit. These include connectivity infrastructure projects, freight-friendly expressways to enable efficient movement of containers on key routes, and the development of strategic inland waterways. Port-led industrialization is being taken up with the aim to boost industrial and export growth along the coastline. This will be realized through 14 Coastal Economic Zones (CEZs) along the coastline. Another noteworthy initiative, development of a new deep draught port at Vadhavan, on the north coast of Maharashtra is taking shape. The port will cater to Ultra Large Container Vessels (UCLVs). Several steps are also being taken towards transitioning major ports to smart ports focusing on Port Community System; Logistics Data Bank Service; RFID Solutions; Enterprise Business Systems; Direct Port Delivery (DPD); Direct Port Entry (DPE); scanners/ container scanners and simplifying the procedures.

During this event an exhibition was also organized by major ports showcasing their Sagarmala projects.

Sagarmala program was launched in March 2015 with the objectives to achieve port modernization & new port development, port connectivity enhancement, port-led industrialization and coastal community development. The program has followed a stepped approach of implementation with first attempt on implementing the maritime projects through Public Private Partnership (PPP) wherever feasible. Projects which have high social and economic quotient but low IRR are being implemented through funding support under the Sagarmala program.

The financial assistance is provided to State Governments and other MoPSW agencies for port infrastructure projects, coastal berth projects, Road & Rail projects, fishing harbours, skill development projects, Coastal community development, cruise terminal and unique projects such as Ro-Pax ferry services etc.

15-Mar-2022: Central Economic Zone Under Sagarmala Scheme

Under the National Perspective Plan of the Sagarmala Programme, fourteen Coastal Economic Zones (CEZ) were envisaged including three in the state of Tamil Nadu. Subsequently, it was proposed to create an institutional framework and develop one CEZ project on a pilot basis for enabling Port Led Industrialization and incentivize employment generation. The proposal was taken up with the Department of Expenditure which recommended that Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways should explore possibility of development of a CEZ with land available with the Major Ports duly taking into consideration other initiatives of Government of India.

National Industrial Corridor Development and Implementation Trust (NICDIT) under the administrative control of Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal trade(DPIIT) in partnership with respective State Govt(s) has planned to develop various industrial corridor projects as part of National Industrial Corridor Programme which is aimed at development of green field industrial region/nodes in India. Government of India has accorded approval for development of 11 corridors (32 projects) in Four Phases as part of National Master Plan for providing multimodal connectivity to economic zones which are under various stages of conceptualization/development/implementation.

Accordingly, Ministry has entrusted Sagarmala Development Company Limited for conducting   a detailed study to suitably modify National Perspective Plan for CEZ keeping in view other initiatives of Government of India such as National Industrial Corridor Programme, Bharatmala Connectivity Program and Dedicated Freight Corridors for achieving synergy and avoid duplication.

Also, more than 8000 Acres of land have been used for Industrialization by Major Ports which has generated more than 2 Lakh direct and indirect employment.

While identifying locations to set up a Satellite Port, Chennai Port Trust (ChPT) ascertained that Neyveli Lignite Corporation (NLC) had a proposal for setting up Thermal Power Station at Sirkazhi and evinced interest in utilizing the expertise of ChPT for developing the Port. NLC provided details of their Sirkazhi thermal power project including land available, timelines, requirements of coal volume and setting up a Port.  The Draft MoU for Development of Satellite Port near Sirkazhi was prepared and sent to NLC for signing during the Maritime India Summit in 2016.  However, NLC has informed that as the project is yet to be sanctioned, the development of Satellite Port may be premature.

Subsequently, NLC India Limited informed about establishment of Power Plant in Odisha and dropping of development of Sirkazhi Thermal Power Project thereby adversely affecting cargo projections at Sirkazhi Port and hence its implementation.

Ministry accorded in principle approval for development of New Major Port at Enayam in July 2016. However, field studies could not be carried out due to resistance from fishermen groups and local public. As the agitation continued, the alternative sites were analysed at Colachel, Manavalkuruchi and Kanyakumari. A habitation free sea shore stretch at Kanyakumari was identified as feasible location. The DPR prepared for new port at Kanyakumari was further revised to encourage maximum participation of private sector. Expression of Interest (EOI) was invited on 20 February 2021 for developing of Transshipment hub near Kanyakumari on Public Private Partnership mode. However, in view of development of V. O. Chidambaranar Port as Transshipment hub, Ministry advised to cancel the EoI.

19-Jul-2021: Livelihood support for Sagarmala affected fishermen under coastal community development

Coastal Community Development is an important objective of the Sagarmala Programme. For the welfare of fishermen community, MoPSW is part-funding fishing harbour projects in convergence with Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying (MoFAH&D). There are 28 fishing harbour projects (Rs. 2,598 Cr) identified under Sagarmala for implementation by various agencies. Out of which, 17 projects (Rs. 1,694 Cr) have been partially funded under Sagarmala. 9 funded fishing harbour projects have been completed.

All Sagarmala projects are being implemented by respective agencies and due process of impact assessment with regards to socio-economic (PAP, R&R, etc.) and environment is done by respective implementing agencies.

On the skill development front, skill gap study of 21 coastal districts (spread across 9 states and 3 UTs), has been completed.  Domain ministries & concerned state governments have been asked to implement the district action plans. In addition, MoPSW is funding skill development under Sagarmala-DDU-GKY Convergence programme Phase-I and II to enable skilling of coastal population to meet the need of growing maritime industry thereby leading to sustainable inclusive growth in the coastal areas under Sagarmala Programme.

Sagarmala Programme of Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways is implementing the projects for development of fishing harbour and fish landing centres in convergence with Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) of MoFAH&D. The PMMSY inter-alia envisages creating gainful employment opportunities to about 5.5 million in fisheries and allied activities by 2024-25 through promotion of inland fisheries and aquaculture, ornamental fisheries, cold water fisheries, development and management of post-harvest and cold chain infrastructure, fish marketing etc.

Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways undertook third party evaluation of their scheme / funded projects which included the pillar of Coastal Community Development projects.

12-Mar-2020: Sagarmala Programme

The Sagarmala programme is the flagship programme of the Ministry of Shipping to promote port-led development in the country through harnessing India’s 7,500 km long coastline, 14,500 km of potentially navigable waterways and strategic location on key international maritime trade routes. The main vision of the Sagarmala Programme is to reduce logistics cost for EXIM and domestic trade with minimal infrastructure investment.

Sagarmala Programme was approved by the Union Cabinet in March 2015 and a National Perspective Plan was prepared by the Ministry of Shipping which was released on 14th April 2016. As of now, 500 projects have been identified at an estimated infrastructure investment of Rs. 3.55 Lac Crore across all the pillars. Out of these, 143 projects (worth Rs. 0.88 Lac Crore) have been completed, and 190 projects (worth Rs. 2.12 Lac Crore) are already under implementation. Remaining set of 167 projects are under various stages of development and expected completion are well within 2035.

Implementation of these projects are being done by the Central Line Ministries, State Governments / Maritime Boards and SPVs preferably through the private sector and through the Public Private Participation (PPP) wherever feasible.

Initiatives under Sagarmala Programme to unlock the potential of Waterways

1. Ministry of Shipping has notified licensing relaxation to foreign flag vessels for carrying transshipment containers, empty containers, fertilizers and agricultural, fisheries, animal husbandry and horticultural commodities on coastal routes.
2. The licensing Relaxation for coastal shipping to special vessels such as Ro-Ro, Hybrid Ro-Ro, Ro Pure Car Carriers, Pure Car and Truck Carriers, LNG Vessels and Over-dimensional or Project Cargo is extended till 2021.
3. Under coastal berth scheme, financial assistance up-to 50% of total project cost or maximum funding limit can be provided to the implementing agency for creation of infrastructure to promote movement of cargo/passengers by sea/National Waterways.
4. A study has been conducted in association with Asian Development Bank to prepare a perspective plan for coastal shipping  and an action plan has been formulated under the topics of policy interventions, infrastructure interventions and process interventions is being implemented by the Ministry of Shipping.
5. Minimum 40% discount is offered by major ports on vessel and cargo related charges to coastal vessels.
6. To promote inland water transport (IWT) in the country, 111 (including 5 existing and 106 new) National Waterways (NWs) have been declared under the National Waterways Act, 2016.
7. NW-I (Ganga-Bhagirathi- Hooghly river system from Allahabad to Haldia) in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand & West Bengal; NW-2 (River Brahmaputra from Dhubri to Sadiya) in Assam; NW-3( West Coast Canal from Kottapuram to Kollam along with Udyog Mandal and Champakara Canals) in Kerala, have already been developed with fairway navigational aids, jetties and terminals with mechanised equipment handling facilities for loading of cargo. These water ways are operational and vessels are plying on them. In addition, NW-10 (river Amba), NW-68(river Mondovi), NW-73 (river Narmada), NW-83(Rajpuri Creek), NW-85 (Revadanda Creek- Kundalika river system), NW-91 (Shastri river- Jaigad creek system), NW-97 (Sundarbans Waterways), NW-100 (river Tapti) and NW-111(river Zuari) are operational.
8. Feasibilities studies have been completed by the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) for 106 new NWs and based on the outcome of feasibility studies and Detailed Project Reports (DPRs), 20 new NWs were found feasible for development of shipping and navigation in addition to 5 existing NWs, on which development activities are already ongoing.
9. To augment the navigational capacity on the Haldia-Varanasi stretch on NW-1(river Ganga), the Ministry of Shipping / IWAI is implementing the Jal Marg Vikas Project (JMVP) at an estimated cost of Rs. 5369.18 crore. Under JMVP construction of multimodal terminals at Varanasi, Sahibganj & Haldia, Ro-Ro terminals, fairway development navigational lock at Farakka, channel marking systems etc., are being set up.
10. Fairway development work in Vijayawada-Muktyala stretch of river Krishna in Andhra Pradesh (part of NW-4) has been completed. Fabrication of four floating pontoons and land acquisition for fixed terminals(4 nos.) at Ibrahimpatnam, Harischandrapuram, Muktyala and Madipadu is underway.

27-Jun-2018: ‘Sagarmala’ receives Gold Award at the 52nd Skoch Summit 2018

The Ministry of Shipping’s flagship programme for port-led-prosperity ‘Sagarmala’ received the ‘Gold Award’ in infrastructure sector in the recently concluded 52nd Skoch Summit 2018 in New Delhi, recognizing the programme's contribution to India’s socio-economic transformation and its role in propelling fast-track growth and infrastructure development. The Sagarmala Programme also received the ‘Order of Merit’ at the Summit.

The Skoch Awards recognize leadership and excellence in accelerating socio-economic changes. These awards have become a benchmark of best practices in India in the fields of governance, infrastructure, finance, banking, technology, corporate citizenship, economics and inclusive growth.

Sagarmala is the flagship programme of the Ministry of Shipping for port-led-development of the country through harnessing India’s 7,500 km long coastline, 14,500 km of potentially navigable waterways and strategic location of India on key international maritime trade route. The Sagarmala Programme hinges on four pillars, namely; Port Modernization, Port Connectivity, Port-linked Industrialization and Coastal Community Development. The programme aims to double the share of domestic waterways (inland & coastal) in the modal mix, generate logistic cost savings of Rs. 35,000-40,000 Cr per annum, boost merchandize exports by USD 110 Billion and enable creation of 1 Crore new jobs, including 40 Lac direct jobs, in the next 10 years.

Under Sagarmala programme, more than 576 projects with an estimated project cost of Rs. 8.7 Lakh Crore have been identified for implementation over 20 years. Development would be done across areas of port modernization and new port development, enhancing connectivity of ports, industrialization linked to ports and coastal community development. Out of 576 projects identified, 69 projects worth over Rs. 13,500 Crore have already been completed so far and another 424 projects worth over Rs. 4.1 Lac Crore are under various stages of implementation and development. Around 97 projects worth over Rs. 38,000 Crore are expected to be completed this year.

The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, had given its ‘in-principle’ approval for the concept and institutional framework of Sagarmala Project on 25th May 2015. The National Perspective Plan (NPP) was released by the Prime Minister Sh. Narendra Modi during the inaugural Maritime India Summit held in April 2016, in Mumbai.

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