Sagarmala 2.0: Govt Plans Fresh Funding for Infrastructure Gaps

New Delhi, Mar 19 (PTI) The government is planning Sagarmala 2.0 with a new funding to bridge infrastructure gaps, Union Ports, Shipping and Waterways Minister Sarbananda Sonowal said on Wednesday.

Addressing the 4th National Sagarmala Apex Committee (NSAC) meet here, he said the government has invested Rs 5.79 lakh crore to develop 839 projects in the country under the Sagarmala programme.

He asserted that the Modi government is committed to Maritime Sector transformation.

The implementation status of key projects under Sagarmala -- the flagship programme of the Ministry of Ports, Shipping & Waterways (MoPSW) -- was reviewed under the meet.

"As we move towards Sagarmala 2.0, our focus is on bridging critical infrastructure gaps with fresh investments, driving coastal economic growth, and positioning India as a global maritime leader," Sonowal said.

Sagarmala 2.0 is a visionary upgrade with a new focus on shipbuilding, repair, breaking, and recycling. Sagarmala 1.0 will be over in 2026.

Backed by Rs 40,000 crore in budgetary support, it aims to catalyse investments worth Rs 12 lakh crore over the next decade.

According to an official statement, under Sagarmala, 234 port modernisation projects worth Rs 2.91 lakh crore are underway, with 103 projects completed, adding 230 MTPA capacity.

In connectivity, 279 projects worth Rs 2.06 lakh crore are being implemented, with 92 projects completed, boosting 1,500 km of port links, it said.

As per the statement, port-led industrialisation saw 14 projects worth Rs 55,000 crore, with nine of them completed.

NSAC was constituted in May 2015 for planning and implementation of port-led development under the Sagarmala project.

NSAC is the apex body for policy direction and oversight of the Sagarmala programme.

Senior officials from the MoPSW, NITI Aayog, Ministry of Road Transport & Highways, and other line ministries, along with senior representatives from the states and UTs, participated in the deliberations.