<p>Mumbai: Amid Opposition and environmental concerns over the Great Nicobar Island Development Project, Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah on Monday said that the project will multiply India’s maritime trade several times.</p><p>Shah pointed out that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's maritime vision is based on three pillars: security, stability, and self-reliance. </p><p>With the Maritime India Vision 2030, through initiatives like Sagarmala, Blue Economy, and Green Maritime Vision, India has set a goal to place India among the top five countries in the global shipbuilding industry. </p><p>“The $5 billion Great Nicobar project is in the making, which will boost India's maritime global trade manifold,” Shah said inaugurating the five-day-long India Maritime Week at the Nesco Complex at Goregaon in Mumbai. </p><p>The Andaman and Nicobar Islands Integrated Development Corporation (ANIIDCO) is implementing the project. </p><p>The project is planned in the southern tip of Great Nicobar Island, in the Andaman Sea. </p><p>The Union Home Minister stated that under the Sagarmala project, 839 projects worth 70 billion dollars have been identified for completion by March 2025, of which 272 projects worth 17 billion dollars have already been completed. </p>.PM Modi praises Bengaluru techie Kapil Sharma for his campaign to save lakes.<p>“Additionally, with an investment of 200 million dollars, we are moving forward with constructing India's largest dock at Cochin Shipyard. Furthermore, a Maritime Heritage Complex is being developed in Gujarat,” Shah said, adding that to align with essential international laws, outdated Indian laws have also been reformed. </p><p>“In 2025, our Parliament passed the 117-year-old Indian Ports Bill, updated to reflect contemporary needs and a global perspective. Through the Major Port Authorities Act, 2021, we have paved the way for granting greater autonomy to ports and modernizing their institutional framework,” he said and mentioned that 106 new waterways have been declared under the National Waterways Act, 2016.</p><p>Shah said that target of 10,000 million metric tons per year has been set for port handling, and port transport has been fully digitized. Additionally, India is connected to connectivity projects such as the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor, Eastern Maritime Corridor, and North-South Transport Corridor.</p><p>“Today, two-thirds of global trade passes through the Indo-Pacific maritime route, and 90 percent of India's trade is conducted via maritime routes,” he noted.</p><p>According to him, Modi’s maritime policy has evolved into MAHASAGAR (Mutual And Holistic Advancement for Security And Growth Across Regions), which has become a symbol of India's growing global footprint. </p><p>“Modi's vision of transforming "Sagar" into "Mahasagar" will propel India toward becoming a global leader in this sector by 2047. To achieve this, the Modi government has increased the budget sixfold, raising it from 40 million dollars to 230 million dollars today,” he said. </p>
<p>Mumbai: Amid Opposition and environmental concerns over the Great Nicobar Island Development Project, Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah on Monday said that the project will multiply India’s maritime trade several times.</p><p>Shah pointed out that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's maritime vision is based on three pillars: security, stability, and self-reliance. </p><p>With the Maritime India Vision 2030, through initiatives like Sagarmala, Blue Economy, and Green Maritime Vision, India has set a goal to place India among the top five countries in the global shipbuilding industry. </p><p>“The $5 billion Great Nicobar project is in the making, which will boost India's maritime global trade manifold,” Shah said inaugurating the five-day-long India Maritime Week at the Nesco Complex at Goregaon in Mumbai. </p><p>The Andaman and Nicobar Islands Integrated Development Corporation (ANIIDCO) is implementing the project. </p><p>The project is planned in the southern tip of Great Nicobar Island, in the Andaman Sea. </p><p>The Union Home Minister stated that under the Sagarmala project, 839 projects worth 70 billion dollars have been identified for completion by March 2025, of which 272 projects worth 17 billion dollars have already been completed. </p>.PM Modi praises Bengaluru techie Kapil Sharma for his campaign to save lakes.<p>“Additionally, with an investment of 200 million dollars, we are moving forward with constructing India's largest dock at Cochin Shipyard. Furthermore, a Maritime Heritage Complex is being developed in Gujarat,” Shah said, adding that to align with essential international laws, outdated Indian laws have also been reformed. </p><p>“In 2025, our Parliament passed the 117-year-old Indian Ports Bill, updated to reflect contemporary needs and a global perspective. Through the Major Port Authorities Act, 2021, we have paved the way for granting greater autonomy to ports and modernizing their institutional framework,” he said and mentioned that 106 new waterways have been declared under the National Waterways Act, 2016.</p><p>Shah said that target of 10,000 million metric tons per year has been set for port handling, and port transport has been fully digitized. Additionally, India is connected to connectivity projects such as the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor, Eastern Maritime Corridor, and North-South Transport Corridor.</p><p>“Today, two-thirds of global trade passes through the Indo-Pacific maritime route, and 90 percent of India's trade is conducted via maritime routes,” he noted.</p><p>According to him, Modi’s maritime policy has evolved into MAHASAGAR (Mutual And Holistic Advancement for Security And Growth Across Regions), which has become a symbol of India's growing global footprint. </p><p>“Modi's vision of transforming "Sagar" into "Mahasagar" will propel India toward becoming a global leader in this sector by 2047. To achieve this, the Modi government has increased the budget sixfold, raising it from 40 million dollars to 230 million dollars today,” he said. </p>