27 MoUs Worth Over Rs.66,000 Crores Exchanged to Boost Maritime Shipbuilding in Bhavnagar, Gujarat

In September 2025, the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW), announced the exchange of 27 Memorandum of Understandings (MoUs) worth over Rs.66,000 crores during the “Samudra Se Samriddhi – Transforming India’s Maritime Sector” event in Bhavnagar, Gujarat.

• The MoUs were exchanged between the public and private sector stakeholders in the maritime sector, State governments, and international partners.
• The MoUs aim to strengthen India’s maritime and shipbuilding sectors, supporting the government’s vision of making India a global maritime powerhouse by 2047.

Highlights of the Event:

Dignitaries: The signing was attended by Union Ministers Sarbananda Sonowal, MoPSW; Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya, Ministry of Labour & Employment (MoL&E) and Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports (MYAS); and Union Minister of State (MoS) Shantanu Thakur, MoPSW.

Project Inaugurations: The event also marked the inauguration of key maritime projects, including the HPLNG (Hazira Port Liquefied Natural Gas) Regasification Terminal at Chhara Port(Gujarat) and Renewable Energy(RE) initiatives, highlighting the government’s focus on strengthening maritime infrastructure.

Details of 27 MoUs Exchanged:

Bahuda Port Development: An MoU was signed by Paradip Port Authority, Visakhapatnam Port Authority, Sagarmala Finance Corporation Limited, and the Odisha government.

• It was signed to establish a new port with a capacity of 150 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) on over 6,700 acres of coastal salt land in Odisha with an investment of Rs.21,500 crores.

Container terminal: Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port (SPMK), based in Kolkata(West Bengal, WB), signed a 30-year concession agreement with JSW Kolkata Container Terminal to develop a new container terminal to boost its cargo handling capacity.

Paradip Port Container Terminal: It signed a 30-year concession agreement with Arcelor Mittal Nippon Steel (AM/NS) Ports to expand its existing cargo handling facilities to increase flow.

Water Metro Project: An MoU, worth Rs.908 crores, was signed between the Inland Waterways Authority of India(IWAI) and the Government of Bihar for a Water Metro Project in Patna (Bihar).

• It will utilize energy efficient electric ferries, build modern terminals, and connect waterways with other public transport.

Joint Venture: The Shipping Corporation of India (SCI) signed an MoU with Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL), Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL), and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) to create a Vessel Owning Joint Venture (JV) company.

Clusters: MoUs were signed to set up shipbuilding clusters in Andhra Pradesh (AP), Odisha, Gujarat, Maharashtra, and Tamil Nadu (TN), supported by central and state governments. It will include modern shipyards, Research and Development (R&D) centres, training facilities, ancillary units, and logistics corridors.

Domestic Steel Usage: The Shipyard Association of India (SAI) and the Indian Steel Association (ISA) signed an MoU to prioritize the utilization of domestically produced steel in shipyards, supporting domestic manufacturing and reduces imports.

Strategic Partnerships:The Gujarat Maritime Board (GMB) signed multiple MoUs with private partners such as Act Infra Ports Limited, Modest Infrastructure, Chowgule & Company, and Swan Defence and Heavy Industries Limited (SWAN Defence), totaling over Rs.13,600 crores.

• These projects will develop shipbuilding, ship repair, offshore infrastructure, and recycling yards across the Gulf of Kutch and other sites, creating jobs and boosting trade in Gujarat.

Shipbuilding Collaboration: Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE) partnered with Indian Port Rail & Ropeway Corporation Limited (IPRCL), SCI, SPMK, and Modest Shipyard for new greenfield facilities, tug development, and ship repair projects in Gujarat and WB.

Financial Support: Sagarmala Finance Corporation Limited (SFMCL) signed MoUs with financial institutions such as Neo Fund, National Bank for Financing Infrastructure and Development (NaBFID), India Infrastructure Finance Company Limited (IIFCL), and Climate Fund Managers to support investments in the maritime sector.

• It will fund green shipbuilding, fleet upgrades, and maritime logistics through equity, co-investments, and innovative loans.

Lighthouse Museums: The Directorate General of Lighthouses signed an MoU with Indian Port Rail & Roadways Corporation to build the world’s tallest lighthouse museums worth Rs.266 crores with the height of 77 metres (m) at the National Maritime Heritage Complex (NMHC) in Lothal (Gujarat).
About Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW):
Union Minister – Sarbananda Sonowal (Constituency – Dibrugarh, Assam)
Minister of State (MoS) – Shantanu Thakur (Constituency – Bangaon, West Bengal, WB)