Port handling capacity to be improved by four folds for vision 2047

India is chalking out a plan to increase the cargo handling capacity of its port by fourfold to 10,000 million tonnes per annum. A master plan is being worked out including private participation to achieve this feat by the year 2047, coinciding with 100 years of India’s independence.

As of now, the total annual capacity of major ports is around 2605 million tonnes per annum through 12 major ports and 78 non-major ports. The plan was initiated this April by the shipping ministry to make a comprehensive master plan for ports by the Indian Port Association (apex body of major ports) to collate all port master plans with a planning horizon of 2047.

It is said to accomplish the vision by 2047, wherein all the major ports will become mega ports by improving infrastructure and facilities, reducing the turnaround time, and enhancing the handling capacity. The current objective is to increase port capacity by 800 million metric tonnes per annum to 3500 million metric tonnes per annum by 2035, this plan is set under the ongoing Sagarmala program.
Along with this plan, India is also developing LNG handling and ship refueling capacity at all the major ports.