Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, Ministry of Ports, Shipping & Waterways (MoPSW), inaugurated the 2nd edition of Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) Ports Conclave in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh (AP), held from July 14 to July 15, 2025.
- The two-day conclave was organised by the Visakhapatnam Port Authority (VPA).
- Theme of 2nd BIMSTEC Ports Conclave: ‘Navigating the Future: Blue Economy, Innovation and Sustainable Partnerships’.
Key Dignitaries: The inaugural session was attended by Union Minister of State (MoS) Shantanu Thakur, MoPSW; M. Sribharat, Member of Parliament (MP) of Visakhapatnam at Lok Sabha (Lower House of the Parliament); Mani Pandey, Secretary General of BIMSTEC, among others.
Key Participants: The event was attended by policymakers, high-end officials, maritime experts, port authorities, private sector stakeholders, and academic scholars from all 7 BIMSTEC countries, i.e., Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Thailand.
Key Highlights:
i.While addressing the event, Union Minister Sonowal announced that a BIMSTEC Sustainable Maritime Transport Centre will be established under the Indian Ocean Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Maritime Transport (IOCE-SMarT) at the Maritime Training Institute in Powai, Mumbai (Maharashtra).
ii.Two key sessions were organised at the 2-day conclave. The 1st session was focused on promoting private sector investment and Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) to overcome outdated infrastructure and limited coordination, suggesting a regional PPP facilitation platform and harmonized laws.
- The second session explored opportunities from changing global supply chains, highlighting the opportunities to attract manufacturing hubs in shipbuilding, logistics, electronics, and renewables.
iii.The conclave focused on implementing the BIMSTEC Agreement on Maritime Transport Cooperation (AMTC), signed during the 6th BIMSTEC Summit in April 2025 at Bangkok (Thailand).
- India, the first country to ratify the agreement, aims to enhance regional maritime trade and reduce overall logistics costs through this initiative.
Note: 1st BIMSTEC Ports Conclave held in November 2019 in Visakhapatnam, AP.
Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal Launched Various Capacity-Building Initiatives worth Rs 276 Crore at Visakhapatnam Port:
In July 2025, Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal launched various capacity-building initiatives worth over Rs 276 crore at the Visakhapatnam Port in Visakhapatnam, AP.
- During the event, he laid foundation stones for 6 projects with a total investment of over Rs 116 crore to scale up port infrastructure and enhance operational efficiency.
Key Projects with a Total Investment of Rs 116 crore:
i.The construction of a B-Ramp within the port area (Rs 33.49 crore) and a new finger jetty and wharf in the fishing harbour (Rs 32.61 crore) will be established to accelerate cargo handling and support the local fishing community.
ii.Establishment of two additional breasting dolphins at Offshore Tanker Terminal (OSTT) (Rs 20.87 crore) and an additional ramp linking the Ambedkar Centenary Flyover to the L-17 corridor (Rs 8.31 crore).
iii.A public promenade near the cruise terminal worth Rs 15.90 crore will be developed to promote cruise tourism, alongside the construction of toilet blocks at 15 different locations across the port area (Rs 5.50 crore).
Digital and Infrastructure Upgrades worth Rs 159.96 crore:
i.The commissioning of the new Oil Refinery Berth-2 (Rs 42 crore) and installation of advanced fire-fighting facilities at the OSTT Berth (Rs 27 crore), aimed to enhance safety and capacity for liquid cargo.
ii.Infrastructure upgrades include a covered storage shed at the R-10 area (Rs 22.50 crore), road improvements from WQ-5 Junction to Essar Junction (Rs 19.69 crore)
iii.Digital upgrades include the implementation of a new Radio Frequency Identification (RFID)-based gate management system (Rs 15 crore), a Port Operating System (Rs 10.77 crore), and a Vessel Traffic Management System (VTMS) worth Rs 15.83 crore.
- VTMS is operational from July 10, 2025, integrates Automatic Identification System (AIS), radar, and Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) feeds, and will receive a 15-year radar feed from the Indian Coast Guard (ICG).
About Ministry of Ports, Shipping & Waterways (MoPSW):
Union Minister- Sarbananda Sonowal (Constituency- Dibrugarh, Assam)
Minister of State (MoS)- Shantanu Thakur (Constituency- Bangaon, West Bengal, WB)
