Laying the foundation stone for ₹76,200 crore Vadhvan port in Maharashtra on Friday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the port will not only attract investments, but will also create 12 lakh job opportunities in a region that has traditionally been known for its historic forts.
Calling it a historic day for the development of Maharashtra and India, PM Modi said, “The Vadhvan port will be able to handle more containers than what all the ports in the country handle together today. This port will become a symbol of economic prosperity of both Maharashtra and the country. Thousands of ships carrying containers will come to this port. The economic situation of this entire region will undergo a sea-change.”
Prime Minister Modi pointed out that the Vadhvan port in Palghar hung in the balance for 60 years. “This important work was not allowed to start by some people,” said PM Modi, targeting his political rivals in Maharashtra. “This project will attract crores worth of investments. It will create 12 lakh job opportunities. Who had a problem with the development of Maharashtra? Why didn’t the earlier governments take this project forward.”
The beginnings
In order to kick-start the construction of a greenfield container port at Vadhvan in Maharashtra, the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority (JNPA) in July 2024 had invited expression of interest (EoI) from investors and private developers asking them to participate in a ₹20,600 crore project meant to reclaim land for the port and construction of an offshore protection bund. The EoI was floated by Vadhvan Port Project Ltd, a special purpose vehicle formed for the implementation of the project on public private partnership (PPP) basis.
The container port project having a total capacity of 24.5 million TEUs will have equity from JNPA and Maharashtra Maritime Board (MMB). The Phase 1 of the project would handle traffic of about 6.85 million TEUs in the year 2030, increasing to 23.2 million TEUs in the master plan stage (Phase 2) of development during the year 2040. Phase-1 of the project is expected to cost ₹50,000 crore.
In his speech, PM Modi also said that his government also has given permission for the Dighi Port Industrial Area in Raigad, Maharashtra. Pointing out the capacity of ports in the country doubled during his tenure, Prime Minister said private investments have increased and the turn around time for ships have also been reduced. “The businesses, traders are getting advantage of this. The youths are getting new opportunities,” he added.
The Prime Minister said that the India is the second largest fish producer in the world producing 170 lakh tonnes of fish annually compared with 80 lakh tonnes in 2014. “In 10 years, you have double fish production. The exports of seafood is also increasing. Compared with less than ₹20,000 crore worth of prawn exports 10 years ago, the country is today exporting ₹40,000 crore worth of prawns. The exports have also doubled,” he added
Vessel communication and support system
PM Modi also launched the national rollout of the vessel communication and support system at a cost of around ₹360 crore. Under this project, 1 lakh transponders will be installed in a phased manner on mechanized and motorized fishing vessels in 13 coastal States and Union Territories. The vessel communication and support system is indigenous technology developed by ISRO, which will help establish two-way communication while fishermen are at sea, help rescue operations, and ensure the safety of our fishermen.
The Prime Minister also inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of 218 fisheries projects worth around ₹1,560 crore, aimed at bolstering the sector’s infrastructure and productivity across the nation. These initiatives are expected to generate more than five lakh employment opportunities in the fisheries sector.