Parliament session issues
NEW DELHI, JULY 29, 2025: There are 272 road and rail connectivity projects identified under the Sagarmala Programme. These are executed by agencies such as the Ministry of Road, Transport and Highways, the Ministry of Railways, Major Ports and concessioners. Out of 272 projects, 74 projects have been completed, 67 projects are under Implementation, and 131 are under development.
At the top of the Sagarmala framework, a National Sagarmala Apex Committee has been constituted for overall policy guidance and high-level coordination, and to review aspects of planning and implementation of the plan and projects. Ministry, from time to time, holds Maritime States Development Council (MSDC) meetings for creating synergy among various stakeholders such as Central Government Departments / Ministries and State Governments.
As a part of the Sagarmala Programme, 839 projects at an estimated cost of around 5.79 lakh crore have been identified for implementation. Out of these, 119 projects with a total project cost of Rs. 2.42 Lakh Cr are implemented through Public-Private Partnership (PPP) mode and the remaining projects are undertaken in EPC mode with direct government funding.
The Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways have revised the Sagarmala Funding Guidelines for more financial propriety and speeding up project implementation for projects funded through the Sagarmala Scheme.
This information was given by the Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Shri Sarbananda Sonowal, in a written reply to the Rajya Sabha.
Digital Transformation in Maritime Trade
Ministry has signed an MoU with Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC) to establish a Digital Centre of Excellence (DCoE) for the Indian maritime sector, which aims to accelerate digital transformation through advanced IT solutions, foster innovation, and guide the modernisation of the port and shipping sector.
The government has launched the SAGAR SETU platform, which aims to boost operational efficiency, productivity, and ease of doing business in the Indian Ports and Shipping sector for seamless EXIM services, significantly reducing vessel and cargo documentation time through faster and paperless processes.
To provide a uniform structure for Major Port Tariffs, the Government has introduced a standardised Scale of Rates (SOR) template, to provide distinct and uniform definitions and conditions, a consistent structure for categorising various port services and a transparent presentation of tariffs.
This information was given by the Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Shri Sarbananda Sonowal, in a written reply to the Rajya Sabha.
