The Sagarmala Programme, launched by the Ministry of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways, aims to foster port-driven development in India by utilising the country’s 7,500 km coastline, 14,500 km of potential navigable waterways, and its strategic position on global maritime trade routes. The programme’s initiatives are grouped into five key pillars: port modernisation, port connectivity, industrial growth through ports, development of coastal communities, and the promotion of coastal shipping and inland water transport. Various stakeholders, including Central Ministries, Indian Railways, State Governments, and Major Ports, work together to execute these projects. There are 839 projects under the programme with a total investment of Rs 5.79 lakh crore, of which 272 projects valued at around Rs 1.41 lakh crore have already been completed. In the modernisation pillar alone, 103 completed projects have led to an addition of more than 528 million tonnes per annum to the port’s capacity.
The Coastal Community Development pillar specifically targets improving the quality of life for coastal populations by offering better livelihood opportunities. This is achieved primarily through skill development, capacity building, and promoting sustainable economic activities. A comprehensive skill gap study was carried out in 21 coastal districts across 9 states and 3 Union Territories, including Odisha and Tamil Nadu. The Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD) and the Ministry of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways (MoPSW) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in May 2017 to train coastal communities under the DDU-GKY Sagarmala Convergence Programme. The first phase of this programme was rolled out as a pilot project between 2016 and 2018 across five states—Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Odisha, and Tamil Nadu. To date, 2,079 individuals have received training, with 1,243 securing placements.
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