The road show was organised in Visakhapatnam in august presence of dignitaries from the state government, State Maritime Board and the Visakhapatnam Port Authority. Delivering the welcome address, Dr. Madhaiyaan Angamuthu, IAS, Chairman, Visakhapatnam Port Authority said, “GMIS is the brain child of Prime Minister Narendra Modi who inaugurated both the earlier events. The first edition was organised in Mumbai in 2016 and the second edition he inaugurated virtually in 2021. The third edition is scheduled in Delhi in October 2023.” He welcomed all the stakeholders present at the venue and those who joined virtually to participate in GMIS 2023.
Andhra Pradesh is working with all the states like Chattisgarh, Odisha, Telangana, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh to promote the national economy. The vision is to promote blue economy of the country as India is very rich in maritime resources. This reflects in the fact that all coastal states are doing extremely well. The port authority is always in sync with the state government for taking maritime economy to the next level.
He gave a quick preview of the proceedings that will happen at GMIS 2023, where stakeholders also get a chance to display and promote their products and services. At the event the first presentation will be by the state of Andhra Pradesh. Several sessions will be organised on diverse themes like Dredging, maritime finance. The Dredging Corporation of India is excelling in performance wherein its share prices have improved by 25%, he noted.
Sarbananda Sonowal, Honourable Minister for Ports, Shipping & Waterways, joined virtually through a video message. “India today stands as a driving force that will script the next chapter of maritime history,” said the Minister. Visakhapatnam Port will evolve to play a major role in India’s maritime vision 2030. India’s maritime capabilities will continue to grow with the mantra of cooperative and collaborative approach. GMIS 2023 will boost Indian maritime economy by fostering global and regional investments and partnerships by bringing together policy makers, investors and industry leaders.
Also joined virtually was, Shantanu Thakur, Honourable Minister of State for Ports, Shipping & Waterways. “Indian maritime sector has posted excellent growth with concerted effort from government and stakeholders. We have embarked on a journey to induce advanced technology, infrastructure and inculcate a conducive business environment. Indian maritime sector is rising to the next level with growth in coastal shipping, inland waterways, maritime tourism and shipbuilding. A total of 802 projects under Sagarmala are being implemented worth Rs.5.5 lakh Cr, with 220 projects worth 1.12 lakh Cr are already completed. To drive development terminals at major ports are being offered on PPP basis, 100% FDI is allowed in maritime sector, which is a testament to our commitment to international collaboration.”
Bhushan Kumar, Joint Secretary (Sagarmala & PPP), Ministry of Ports, Shipping & Waterways, focused on the maritime resources, as he said Andhra Pradesh has the second largest coastline of 970km. India has a port capacity of 2,605 MTPA which handles more than 90% of the exim volumes. We have more than 28 shipyards and more than 2.5 lakh seafarers. India has a total of 111 waterways of which 23 are operational. 800km of waterways – Godavari and Krishna pass through Andhra Pradesh. India has more than 203 lighthouses of which 75 are being developed for tourism. In all aspects of maritime economy India has almost doubled over the past decade – be it port capacity (102%), cruise tourism (262%), cargo handling in waterways (1734%). JNPA and Mundra rank among global top 40 ports and India is among the top 5 in trained manpower. A lot of regulatory changes have come in like the Major Port Authorities Act 2021, Marine Aids to Navigation Act 2021 and Inland Vessels Act 2021.
“Visakhapatnam has a lot of its development owing to the presence of the Visakhapatnam Port,” said GVL Narasimha Rao, MP, Rajya Sabha. The coastal region and the surrounding areas have a lot to gain from this summit. This is the best time for India to seek investments. About 40,000 to 50,000 Cr in savings are expected from the Sagarmala project through port-led development, port-led industrialisation and community development. In all these aspects, Visakhapatnam stands to benefit. Visakhapatnam Port alone exported 17000 Cr worth of seafood last year, which is one-fourth of seafood exports from the country. The aim is to increase the capacity of Visakhapatnam Port from 75MMTPA to 100MMTPA which will also see huge venues for employment opening up. Thus he invited the people of Andhra Pradesh to make maximum leverage of the GMIS 2023.
“The scenario of Andhra Pradesh after 2014 is quite different from what it was before 2014. Earlier the combined state had various performing sectors like agriculture, IT and pharma, but after the bifurcation the state of Andhra Pradesh is largely dependent on its coast line for development,” informed G Amarnath, Minister for Industries, Commerce and IT, Government of AP. Considering this scenario the State Maritime Board was formed in 2019. The state has one major port and five non-major ports operational. The state is coming up with four more ports of which one is being developed under PPP. Rs.49 Cr have been allocated for Kakinada Anchorage Port. About 119 port projects are in pipeline under Sagarmala. Last year, Visakhapatnam Port has handled 73MMTPA of cargo — the highest cargo handled in the 90 year history of the port.
New port cities and coastal communities are being developed. Three industrial corridors VCIC, CBIC and HBIC are passing through AP and about 45000 acres of land is being made available near the upcoming ports for port-led industrialisation. PCPIR (Petroleum, Chemicals and Petrochemicals Investment Region) is coming up near Kakinada, in addition to bulk drug park. Major highways from Visakhapatnam to Bhogapuram are being developed. 1300 acres of land has been given to NTPC for developing Green Hydrogen Hub.
Kayala Venkata Reddy, Chairman, AP Maritime Board, detailed on the development status of upcoming ports in the state and the employment potential they will generate. About 75000 youth are expected to gain employment. The state has a port capacity of 187 MT and an additional capacity of 110 MT is being added to support the industrial development. Fishing harbours are being developed to support marine industry which is the major export sector in the state. 5000 acres of land bank has been created for industrial development. Focus will be on Hydrogen generation and LNG bunkering as well.
Lt. Cdr. Ravindranath Reddy · Deputy CEO, Andhra Pradesh Maritime Board (APMB), encouraged people to join GMIS 2023. He mentioned the dynamic leadership at both the centre and state level are driving investment into the maritime sector and the GMIS 2023 summit presents the best opportunity for investors to explore avenues in the state. A 360o approach is being implemented for developing coastal areas under the maritime state development council. Towards the conclusion, Visakhapatnam Port Chairman, Dr. Madhaiyaan Angamuthu, I.A.S presented mementos to the dignitaries on the dais. Durgesh Kumar Dubey, IRTS, Deputy Chairman of Visakhapatnam Port Trust presented the vote of thanks.
