Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that the ambitious Rs 76,200 crore Vadhavan port will become an epicenter of trade and industrial development for Maharashtra and India.
Modi, who was addressing a gathering in Palghar, Maharashtra after laying the foundation stone for the Vadhavan port project, said, ” Maharashtra has the potential and resources to grow due to its coastal proximity, holding immense possibilities for the future. The Vadhavan port will be the country’s largest container port and will be counted among the world’s deep-water ports. It will become an epicenter of trade and industrial development for Maharashtra and India.”
Hailing the day as historic in both the state and the country’s development journey, the Prime Minister said his government has taken major steps for the growth of Maharashtra in the last 10 years as “a Viksit Maharashtra is the most crucial element of the resolution of a Viksit Bharat.”
“Entire world is looking towards Vadhavan Port today as there are very few ports in the world that can match this port’s depth of 20 meters. The Vadhavan port would transform the economic landscape of the entire region due to railway and highway connectivity. This would create opportunities for new businesses and warehousing owing to its connectivity to the dedicated Western Freight Corridor and proximity to the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway. Cargo will flow in and out of the region throughout the year, thereby benefiting the people of Maharashtra,” he added.
Recalling the recent decision by the government to develop the Dighi Port Industrial Area, Modi said that it is an occasion of double happiness for the people of Maharashtra. “The Dighi port industrial area will be developed in Raigarh, the capital of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s empire. Therefore, the Dighi Port will become an identity of Maharashtra and a symbol of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s dreams. This will encourage tourism and eco-resort,” the Prime Minister added.
The Prime Minister emphasised that development on India’s coast has gained unprecedented speed in the last decade. Citing examples of modernising ports, developing waterways, and efforts to encourage shipbuilding in India, Modi said, “Lakhs of crores of rupees have been invested in this direction. The results can be witnessed through the doubled handling capacity of most ports in India, an increase in private investments and a significant reduction in the turnaround time of ships. This has benefitted the industries and businessmen by bringing the costs down, while new opportunities are being created for the youth. Besides, facilities for sailors have also increased.”
This new port, designed to be a transshipment hub with a cumulative capacity of 298 MMT annually, is set to become one of the top 10 ports globally. Several major players have signed MOUs with JNPA for terminal operations. These include Maersk, DP World, JM Baxi, CMA CGM, and PSA India Port of Singapore.
