Guwahati launches Rs5000 crore plan to transform Northeasts maritime sector
In Guwahati, Union Minister of Ports, Shipping & Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal has unveiled a ₹5,000 crore plan focused on connectivity, cargo operations, inland waterways, tourism, and youth training in a bold move to revolutionize the Northeast’s maritime landscape
At a press conference in Guwahati, Sonowal emphasized the Modi government’s commitment to integrating the Northeast into India’s maritime economy. “Under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji, we have revitalised India’s maritime sector as never before,” he said. A key feature of the plan includes training 50,000 youth over the next 10 years in maritime skills. The Maritime Skill Development Centre in Guwahati and a ₹200 crore Centre of Excellence in Dibrugarh will anchor this initiative, each generating around 500 jobs per year.
The Northeast has already seen ₹1,000 crore invested in inland waterway infrastructure over the past two years, including cargo terminals at Pandu, Jogighopa, and Dhubri; extensive dredging; heritage restoration; and ₹299 crore worth of tourism jetties. Sonowal highlighted the strategic progress of the Kaladan Multi-Modal Transit Transport Project, which will connect Mizoram with Myanmar’s Sittwe Port, bypassing the Siliguri Corridor and unlocking new trade routes for India and its neighbours—Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, and Myanmar.
The plan further includes deploying 100 barges by 2025, 10 new dredgers with a ₹610 crore investment, and building 85 community jetties to enhance last-mile connectivity. In addition, ₹300 crore will fund new cargo and tourism jetties at Silghat, Neamati, Biswanath Ghat, and Guijan, while Water Metro projects are proposed for Guwahati, Tezpur, and Dibrugarh. New lighthouses with weather monitoring systems will also be installed to boost navigational safety.
This integrated development vision promises to make the Northeast a maritime hub, create employment, and foster regional trade.
