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Amid concerns over 50% US tariffs on Indian goods, Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal said Friday the rise in tariffs have no impact as of now.
“We are capable of handling the geopolitical situation in any part of the world. The tariffs have no impact as of now,” Sonowal told journalists in Thoothukudi. Sonowal’s ministry is crucial to trade, as the maritime sector accounts for 90% of export and import activities in terms of volume and about 70% in terms of value.
“We have made the eastern maritime corridor operational from Russia to Chennai. It has brought down by 16 days the time to bring cargo from there to here,” Sonowal said. He was in Tamil Nadu’s Thoothukudi to inaugurate a green hydrogen pilot project with a capacity of 10 Nm³/hr at VOC Port. Set up at a cost of Rs 3.87 crore, the project will generate green hydrogen to power streetlights and an e-vehicle charging facility in the port colony.
He paid tribute to freedom fighter VO Chidambaranar, after whom the port is named, on his 154th birth anniversary. He laid the foundation for a pilot green methanol bunkering and refuelling facility of 750 m³ capacity at Rs 35.34 crore. Aligned with the proposed Coastal Green Shipping Corridor between Kandla and Tuticorin, the initiative may position VOC Port as a key green bunkering hub in south India.
“The mission of Viksit Bharat at 2047 blends speed, scale, sustainability and self-reliance. The projects launched today will generate thousands of jobs, attract global investments and position Tamil Nadu as a key contributor to India’s economic aspirations. Under the dynamic leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji, we continue to make new strides towards achieving our goal of world’s Top 10 shipbuilding nations by 2030, Top 5 by 2047.”
The event witnessed MoUs between VOC Port and Indian Port Rail & Ropeway Corporation Ltd for rail connectivity to the Outer Harbour project, and with NTPC for implementing green mobility initiatives at the port.
“We signed an MoU today with the state government to develop a shipbuilding cluster,” Sonowal said. “The Centre and Tamil Nadu have agreed to set up a Special Purpose Vehicle…”
Vikas Pathak is deputy associate editor with The Indian Express and writes on national politics. He has over 17 years of experience, and has worked earlier with The Hindustan Times and The Hindu, among other publications. He has covered the national BJP, some key central ministries and Parliament for years, and has covered the 2009 and 2019 Lok Sabha polls and many state assembly polls. He has interviewed many Union ministers and Chief Ministers. Vikas has taught as a full-time faculty member at Asian College of Journalism, Chennai; Symbiosis International University, Pune; Jio Institute, Navi Mumbai; and as a guest professor at Indian Institute of Mass Communication, New Delhi. Vikas has authored a book, Contesting Nationalisms: Hinduism, Secularism and Untouchability in Colonial Punjab (Primus, 2018), which has been widely reviewed by top academic journals and leading newspapers. He did his PhD, M Phil and MA from JNU, New Delhi, was Student of the Year (2005-06) at ACJ and gold medalist from University Rajasthan College in Jaipur in graduation. He has been invited to top academic institutions like JNU, St Stephen’s College, Delhi, and IIT Delhi as a guest speaker/panellist. ... Read More
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