Chintan Shivir in Kerala on making India global leader in maritime sector

Munnar (Kerala) [India], May 21 : The Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW) on Sunday embarked upon its two-day Chintan Shivir in Kerala's Munnar.

The Shivir was chaired and inaugurated by Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal. Minister of State in MoPSW Shantanu Thakur and Shripad Naik and chairpersons of all major ports, heads of the other organizations and PSUs of the Ministry and senior officials were present at the Chintan Shivir.

Speaking on the occasion, Sonowal lauded the efforts of the Ministry MoPSW and each of the organizations in positioning India as a global leader in the maritime sector.

Recognizing the significance of enhancing connectivity and fostering new business opportunities, he emphasized the Ministry's goal to educate and create awareness among the common people too by highlighting the impact of the Maritime sector in simple language and how it impacts the lives of the common people.

MoS Shripad Naik said the Maritime India Vision 2030 has led the blueprint of the actions that would lead towards making the country one of the leading blue economies of the world and the Ministry should try to achieve the determined targets.

Shantanu Thakur, MoS, MoPSW said, "India is one of the leading economies of the world and the considerable amount of work has been done towards infrastructure documentation in the Ports enhancing ease of doing business, increasing the share of renewable energy in the sectors and promoting shipbuilding and ship repair".

He also added that now the Ministry should focus on making India a hub for maritime training and strengthening maritime institutions.

During the first day of the Chintan Shivir, the achievements and targets set during the previous Chintan Shivir were discussed.

An exclusive session with the HoDs of the major ports, chaired by Sarbananda Sonowal, focused on the innovative ideas of the ports. The other session focused on lighthouse tourism and how to become a global player in shipbuilding and enhance India's tonnage. Apart from this, the participants from various organisations shared valuable insights, paving the way for informed decision-making and effective implementation strategies, said the Ministry statement.

On Day 2, the Chintan Shivir will focus on cargo handling by Major Ports, improving and optimizing port call procedures, digitalization and standardization, Inland waterways and coastal shipping enhancing cargo and good governance.