New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has highlighted India’s dramatic transformation into a global maritime and trade powerhouse, crediting a decade of strategic reforms, infrastructure upgrades, and policy-driven growth. Sharing an insightful article, the Prime Minister underscored how India’s major ports have more than doubled their capacity—from 745 million tonnes to over 1,600 million tonnes—while cargo traffic has surged by 46%, reaching 795 million tonnes by 2023. Turnaround times for ships have been slashed from 127 hours to just 53, with Nhava Sheva port leading at 21 hours, outpacing many global counterparts.
These advancements have elevated India’s global logistics standing, with the country climbing from 54th to 38th on the World Bank’s Logistics Performance Index. PM Modi also pointed to game-changing infrastructure milestones like Cochin Shipyard’s new dry dock, Kochi’s LPG terminal, and the Sagarmala initiative—fueling over 800 coastal development projects nationwide. Future-ready developments include the proposed transshipment port at Galathea Bay in Great Nicobar, projected to handle 16 million TEUs by 2028.
India is also cementing global connectivity through the India–Middle East–Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) and the PM Gati Shakti masterplan, enhancing multimodal infrastructure across ports, rail, and logistics parks. Calling this a “new era of port-led prosperity,” the Prime Minister emphasized that port-centric manufacturing hubs could transform India’s export ecosystem, reduce logistics costs, and unlock job opportunities in coastal regions—positioning India as a key node in global trade and supply chains.
