Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal inaugurates and lays foundation stone for projects at Chennai and Kamarajar Ports

India’s port capacity has more than doubled in the last 10 years and the vessel turnaround time reduced by 50%, Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal said here on Thursday.

While speaking at the event “Viksit Ports, Viksit Bharat” organised by the Chennai Port Authority and Kamarajar Port Limited, he said, cruise tourism grew by 400%. “Today, nine of our major ports rank in the top 100 ports of the world and we are better than advanced maritime nations in various key port performance indicators,” he said. 

Mr. Sonowal inaugurated and laid the foundation stone for projects worth ₹235 crore. He inaugurated two port projects—Enterprise Business System (EBS) developed at a cost of ₹45 crore which decreases paperwork, reduces delays and improves turnaround at Chennai Port and Rehabilitated Northern Breakwater Head at a cost of ₹105 crore at Kamarajar Port.

He also laid foundation stone for four port projects which include strengthening of coastal revetment behind coastal berth (850 metre) at a cost of ₹33.28 crore, which improves long-term coastal resilience and protects port infrastructure at Chennai Port, construction of boundary wall at North West boundary which links Northern Port Access Road at ₹1.39 crore for Kamarajar Port, new firefighting pump house at the Oil Dock Area at ₹43 crore at Chennai Port and improvement work at Chennai Port Hospital at Rs 8.08 crore. 

In Tamil Nadu, under the Sagarmala Programme there are 98 projects worth about ₹93,400 crore of which 54 projects worth ₹37,617 crore have already been completed, and the rest are in various stages of development, he added. 

“Kamarajar Port Ltd. stands as a diversified, resilient, and future-ready port. During the financial year 2024–25, it handled a total cargo volume of 48.41 million tonnes, with a growth rate of around 7% against the previous year,” he added. 

At the global level, the World Bank ranked Kamarajar Port as the 3rd best small container port in the 2023 Container Port Performance Index, and the port, he said. 

S Viswanathan, chairperson, Chennai Port Authority, J P Irene Cynthia, managing director, Kamarajar Port Limited and Malini V Shankar, vice chancellor, Indian Maritime University also spoke.