India piles on wide ranging port initiatives

These include:

• Indian Ports Bill 2025:

Rajya Sabha (Council of States, the upper house of the Parliament of India) passed this new bill to replace outdated provisions of the Indian Ports Act, 1908, with a main aim being to simplify port procedures and digitalise operations to enhance ease of doing business. The new Bill also establishes the Maritime State Development Council (MSDC) as a statutory consultative body that is to prepare a national perspective plan to ensure integrated port development.

• Coastal Shipping Bill, 2025

The Rajya Sabha also passed this Bill to replace Part XIV of the Merchant Shipping Act, 1958, to simplify and modernise the legal framework governing coastal shipping. A key inclusion is the formulation of a national coastal and inland shipping strategic plan to guide future infrastructure development and policy direction.

• Kolkata Port Inaugurates First PPP Terminal

The new 30-year concession, dubbed the Century Ports Limited Terminal, constructed at a cost of ₹190 crore is equipped with a mobile harbour crane, a barge unloader, modern yard equipment and an advanced terminal operating system. The facility has an initial handling capacity of 165,000 TEU and 330,000 tonnes of other cargo. Kolkata Port is planning an extensive short-term rollout of PPP infrastructure across its Kolkata and Haldia docks.

• New Inland Waterways Link – Kottayam Port and Vizhinjam Port

Kottayam Port and Container Terminal (KPCT) is exploring a new inland waterways link with the Vizhinjam International Seaport in Kerala, with backing from the government of Kerala, with aims to improve cargo transshipment efficiencies from Kottayam to Vizhinjam. The project will reduce reliance on road transport and ease congestion at Kochi. Targeted moves are 30,000 TEU, annually.

• Visakhapatnam Port Six Projects

The union minister of ports, shipping and waterways confirmed six projects worth more than ₹116 crore, including construction of a B-ramp within the port area and a finger jetty and wharf in the fishing harbour, two additional breasting dolphins at the offshore tanker terminal (OSTT) and an additional ramp linking the Ambedkar centenary flyover to the L-17 corridor. Other projects include the commissioning of the new oil refinery berth-2, installation of advanced fire-fighting facilities at the OSTT berth, building a covered storage shed at the R-10 area and various road and boundary improvements.

• Chennai Revives Outer Harbour Project

Chennai Port Authority is conducting a technological feasibility assessment to assess reclamation of 200 acres behind the container berth, which would be 2km long. The estimated cost of the project is Rs 80 billion. A previous bidding process launched in 2014 failed to attract enough interest and the plan was subsequently abandoned.