India Doubles Port Capacity, Cuts Ship Turnaround

India’s port capacity has more than doubled in the last ten years, and the time ships take to dock and leave has been cut by half, Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Sarbananda Sonowal, said on Thursday.

He spoke at the event “Viksit Ports, Viksit Bharat”, organized by the Chennai Port Authority and Kamarajar Port Limited, which highlighted the growth and progress of India’s ports.

Sonowal said cruise tourism in India has grown very fast, rising by 400% in recent years. This shows that more people are visiting India by sea, making it an important destination for cruise travelers.

He also said that nine of India’s major ports are now among the top 100 ports in the world. India is doing better than many advanced countries in areas like port efficiency, cargo handling, and ship turnaround time.

The minister said these improvements show the government’s efforts to modernize ports and make them more efficient. This helps trade, tourism, and the economy. He also encouraged more investment in ports to make India a leading maritime nation.