Sarbananda Sonowal

July 1, 2025 10:28 AM

India hosts first-ever ASEAN–India Cruise Dialogue in Chennai to boost maritime cooperation and tourism

Union Minister for Ports, Shipping & Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal inaugurated the first-ever ASEAN–India Cruise Dialogue in Chennai on Monday, marking a significant milestone in maritime cooperation between India and Southeast Asian nations. Held aboard the MV Empress at Chennai Port, the dialogue brought together over 30 delegates from all ten ASEAN countries, along with Timor Leste, to explore ways to enhance cruise connectivity, promote sustainable tourism, and strengthen cultural and ...

June 15, 2025 10:46 AM

India on track to become world’s third-largest economy by 2029: Sarbananda Sonowal

Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal said on Saturday that India is firmly on track to become the world’s third-largest economy by 2029, crediting 11 years of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “decisive and corruption-free” governance for triggering an “unstoppable surge” in national development. Addressing a press conference in Dibrugarh to mark the NDA government’s 11th anniversary, Sonowal said that India has moved past an era of 'policy paralysis and...

May 27, 2025 12:17 PM

India targets 76 operational waterways by 2027, eyes expansion to 23 states, 4 UTs: Sonowal

The government has set a target to operationalise 76 waterways by 2027, Union Minister for Ports, Shipping & Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal announced during a Consultative Committee meeting on Inland Waterways Transport held in Mumbai on Monday. Chairing the meeting, Sonowal also projected that cargo traffic is expected to grow significantly to 156 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) by March 2026, inching closer to the Maritime India Vision 2030 target of 200 MTPA. The Inland Waterways Authorit...

May 26, 2025 11:42 AM

Sonowal hails PM Modi’s leadership as India rises to fourth-largest economy in the world

Union Minister of Ports, Shipping & Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal on Sunday celebrated India’s ascent to becoming the world’s fourth-largest economy, crediting the achievement to the decisive leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi since 2014. Speaking at a "Mann Ki Baat" listening event in Assam’s Dibrugarh, Sonowal praised the Prime Minister’s monthly radio address for inspiring millions with stories of courage, innovation, and national pride. “Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji...

March 26, 2025 1:14 PM

India, Singapore sign Letter of Intent (LOI) on Green Shipping & Digital Corridor Collaboration

India and Singapore have solidified their partnership on a Green and Digital Shipping Corridor (GDSC) with the signing of a Letter of Intent (LoI) at the Singapore Maritime Week (SMW) in Delhi on Tuesday. Union Minister of Ports, Shipping & Waterways, Sarbananda Sonowal, played a key role in a series of high-profile events and bilateral meetings during his visit to Singapore. He also participated in the signing ceremony of the LoI on maritime digitalization and decarbonization in New Delhi,...

February 5, 2025 4:52 PM

Cargo handled at India’s major ports surges to 819 million tonnes

The cargo handled at India's major ports has increased from 581.34 million tonnes in 2014-15 to 819.23 million tonnes in FY 2023-24, achieving a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 3.5 per cent, which is comparable to global standards, the Parliament was informed on Wednesday. During 2023-24, the cargo handled comprised 33.80 per cent liquid bulk, 44.04 per cent dry bulk, and 22.16 per cent container cargo, Minister of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal told the Rajya Sabha in ...

January 7, 2025 10:09 PM

Union Minister Sonowal unveils ₹57,000 crore capacity to boost at Kandla Port

Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal has announced two major initiatives aimed at enhancing the capacity of Kandla Port, involving a total investment of ₹57,000 crores. These projects include the construction of a new Mega Shipbuilding Facility and the development of a new cargo terminal outside Kandla Creek. The Mega Shipbuilding Facility, with an investment of ₹30,000 crores, aims to create technical capabilities for manufacturing Very Large Crude Carriers (V...

December 13, 2024 9:41 PM

Centre allocates over ₹6,000 Crores for inland waterways development: Sarbananda Sonowal

Union Minister for Ports, Shipping & Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal recently outlined that over ₹6,000 crores have been invested in India’s inland waterways sector since 2014, a monumental increase compared to ₹1,620 crores invested in the previous 28 years since the establishment of the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) in 1986. Sonowal highlighted that the number of National Waterways (NW) has expanded from five in 2014 to 111 currently. These developments have enhanced the w...

December 11, 2024 5:41 PM

National Maritime Heritage Complex a monumental tribute to India’s maritime history: Union Minister Sonowal

The development of the National Maritime Heritage Complex at Gujarat's Lothal is set to serve as a monumental tribute to India's ancient maritime history, bringing to life the technological advancements, trade routes, and cultural exchanges that our ancestors pioneered, Union Minister for Ports and Shipping, Sarbananda Sonowal, said on Wednesday. Speaking at the India Maritime Heritage Conclave held in the national capital, the Union Minister said the development of NMHC aligns perfectly with...

September 16, 2024 6:16 PM

PM Modi adorns Assam’s Gamosa at Yoga event in Srinagar, Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal expresses gratitude

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's gesture of wearing Assam's traditional 'Gamosa' during the 10th International Day of Yoga celebrations in Srinagar has drawn appreciation from Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal. The Prime Minister led the yoga event at the Sher-e-Kashmir International Convention Centre (SKICC) in Jammu and Kashmir's capital, adorning the Gamosa, a symbol of Assamese culture that he has worn on numerous previous occasions. Sonowal, the Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterw...