Andhra Pradesh is the most favourable region for trade with ASEAN and East Asia

Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal has stated that Andhra Pradesh is the most favourable region for trade with ASEAN, East Asia and Indo-Pacific countries. According to a report by BusinessLine, he made this significant statement during a plenary session on the theme 'Gateway to the East: Ports, Shipbuilding and Andhra Pradesh's Maritime Future' at the 31st CII Partnership Summit held in Visakhapatnam on Thursday.

Sonowal added that under the leadership of Chief Minister Naidu, Andhra Pradesh will emerge as a leader in the country's maritime sector. He reminded that just as the Chief Minister transformed Hyderabad into 'Cyberabad' by recognising the importance of the IT industry in the 1990s, Andhra Pradesh will also develop. Andhra Pradesh has a coastline of approximately 1,053 km and its geographical features are its main strength, making it a major maritime gateway for the country's east coast trade.

Presenting development figures, the Minister stated that Visakhapatnam port has set a record of 91.17 million tonnes of cargo with 10 per cent growth in the financial year 2025-26. Foundation stones have been laid for various development projects worth approximately ₹600 crore to increase the port's capacity. To promote shipbuilding in the state, in-principle approval has been granted for a greenfield shipbuilding cluster at Durgarajaipattanam with an estimated investment of approximately ₹30,000 crore. This project aims to achieve an annual 1.2 million gross tonnage capacity.

At the central level, ₹70,000 crore financial assistance has been allocated for shipbuilding and maritime activities, ₹10,000 crore for local container manufacturing, and an additional ₹10,000 crore under the Coastal Cargo Promotion Scheme. Sonowal stated that world-class infrastructure is being developed with an investment of ₹80 lakh crore under the Maritime Amrit Kaal Vision 2047, and Andhra Pradesh will be a key partner in achieving the goal of "Viksit Bharat 2047". He appealed to international shipbuilders and technology companies to invest in the state.

State Minister for Roads, Infrastructure and Investment BC Janardhan Reddy stated that Andhra Pradesh is being developed as the country's leading maritime logistics hub. Currently, non-major ports handle more than 117 million tonnes of cargo annually. An investment of approximately ₹14,000 crore is being made to develop greenfield/gateway ports under construction at Ramayapatnam, Machilipatnam, Mulapeta and Kakinada SEZ, while the total maritime expansion programmes involve an investment of approximately ₹22,000 crore.

According to Reddy, Ramayapatnam, Machilipatnam and Mulapeta ports will be operational between December 2026 and March 2027. As a result, the state's cargo handling capacity will increase from 195 million tonnes annually to more than 286 million tonnes. A mega shipbuilding maritime cluster has been proposed at Durgarajaipattanam with an investment of approximately ₹29,000 crore, welcoming the partnership of Hindustan Shipyard Limited (HSL) and Kakinada Sea Ports.

Sarbananda Sonowal is India's Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways. He has led various projects for the development of the maritime sector of the Government of India and to boost international trade.