Sarbananda Sonowal chairs 19th Maritime State Development Council Meeting

Ahmedabad : The 19th meeting of the Maritime State Development Council (MSDC) will be chaired by Union Minister for Port, Shipping and Waterways Shri Sarbananda Sonowal on the 18th and 19th of August at Kevadia, Gujarat. Discussions will concentrate on critical topics relevant to the overall evolution of the marine industry. Chief Ministers, concerned Senior Ministers of Coastal States, and UT Administrators will attend the meeting. The relevant Secretaries and Senior Officials of all the 9 Coastal States and 4 UTs, as well as Senior Officials from other Ministries and Departments of the Union Government, will also express their views.

The Maritime State Development Council (MSDC) was established in 1997 as an apex advisory organisation for the development of the maritime sector, with the goal of ensuring the development of major and minor ports in collaboration with state governments. MSDC was formed under the Chairmanship of the Hon’ble Minister for Ports, Shipping, and Waterways, and included the Ministers in charge of all Maritime States ports, UT Administrators, Navy, Coast Guard, and representatives from other important stakeholders.

MSDC is the top advisory organisation for the maritime sector’s growth, with the goal of ensuring the coordinated development of major and minor ports. It was established to analyse the future development of current and potential Minor Ports by the individual Maritime States, either directly or via captive users and private involvement, in conjunction with State Governments. Furthermore, MSDC monitors the development of minor ports, captive ports, and private ports in the Maritime States in order to ensure their integration with Major Ports, as well as to assess the needs of other infrastructure requirements such as roads/rail/IWT and make appropriate recommendations to the concerned Ministers.

The Council will discuss the various development agendas related to the implementation of the Sagarmala Programme; Development of National Maritime Heritage Complex (NMHC), Lothal, Gujarat; Development of National Waterways; Challenges and opportunities for promotion of RoPax/ Ferries; Urban Passenger Waterways Transportation; Road & Rail port connectivity; Success stories of Coastal States & UTs; and Issues/ Challenges faced by State Maritime Boards at this meeting.

A coordination meeting on the Global Maritime India Summit 2023 (GMIS 2023) and Maritime Excellence Achievers will also be held with senior officials from all Coastal States and UTs to discuss their plans for participation in the Global Maritime India Summit, 2023, which is scheduled to be held at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi, from the 17th to the 19th of October 2023.

GMIS 2023 is a top marine sector-focused event that will bring together key industry players to explore possibilities, analyse issues, and encourage investment in India’s maritime sector. This third edition of the summit intends to reveal greater potential for local and international marine stakeholders and investors, building on the legacy of its previous editions in 2016 and 2021. More than 100 nations and delegates are anticipated to attend the Summit, together with exhibitors and investors from all sectors of the marine industry.