India’s maritime sector is projected to attract investments of more than Rs 80 lakh crore in the coming years, helping the country regain its long-lost nautical supremacy and generate over 1.5 crore jobs, Union Shipping Minister Sarbananda Sonowal said on Saturday.Speaking at the inauguration of the second phase of development of Vizhinjam port in Thiruvananthapuram, Sonowal said the sector had already drawn over Rs 12 lakh crore in investments in 2025, with inflows expected to rise sharply in the years ahead, PTI reported.“As a result of this investment, India’s long-lost maritime supremacy will be regained and we shall be the global maritime leaders once again,” the minister said.He said that once the second phase is completed, Vizhinjam port will transform into “a regional transshipment hub of global significance”, adding that the port has already demonstrated “remarkable operational performance” in the short period since it was dedicated to the nation in May last year.Highlighting developments over the past decade, Sonowal said the maritime sector under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership has seen “unprecedented progress”, with a manifold increase in shipyards, maritime cruise passengers, cruise circuits, inland waterway cargo movement and the number of operational waterways.He said the impact of these reforms is reflected in India’s logistics costs, which stood at around 7.97 per cent of GDP in 2023-24, citing estimates by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) and the National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER), marking a clear improvement from earlier levels.“Kerala occupies a very special place in this national maritime transformation,” Sonowal said, noting that with world-class ports, modern shipping infrastructure, strong shipbuilding capabilities and vibrant inland waterways, the state is well positioned to play a leadership role in India’s maritime future.He expressed confidence that Vizhinjam seaport, along with the wider maritime ecosystem being developed in Kerala, will generate employment, boost trade, empower coastal communities and strengthen India’s position in the global supply chain.The minister said Kerala is currently implementing 56 Sagarmala-related projects involving investments of over Rs 24,000 crore. Of these, 20 projects worth Rs 5,300 crore have been completed, while the remaining 36 projects, valued at Rs 18,700 crore, are at various stages of implementation.Sonowal also noted that the Cochin Port Authority and Cochin Shipyard Ltd are playing a pivotal role in strengthening the state’s maritime ecosystem.
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