Indian Ministry of Shipping’s flagship program for port-led-prosperity ‘Sagarmala’ received the ‘Gold Award’ in infrastructure sector in the recently concluded 52nd Skoch Summit 2018 in New Delhi, recognizing the programmes’s contribution to India’s socio-economic transformation and it's role in propelling fast-track growth and infrastructure development.
The Sagarmala Programme also received the ‘Order of Merit’ at the Summit. The Secretary (Shipping) Gopal Krishna shared the award with Minister for Shipping Nitin Gadkari.
The Skoch Awards recognize leadership and excellence in accelerating socio-economic changes. These awards have become a benchmark of best practices in India in the fields of governance, infrastructure, finance, banking, technology, corporate citizenship, economics and inclusive growth.
Sagarmala is the flagship programme of the Ministry of Shipping for port-led-development of the country through harnessing India’s 7,500 km long coastline, 14,500 km of potentially navigable waterways and strategic location of India on key international maritime trade route. The Sagarmala Programme hinges on four pillars, namely; Port Modernization, Port Connectivity, Port-linked Industrialization and Coastal Community Development.
The programme aims to double the share of domestic waterways (inland & coastal) in the modal mix, generate logistic cost savings of INR 350-400 billion Cr per annum, boost merchandize exports by USD 110 Billion and enable creation of 10 million new jobs, including 4 million direct jobs, in the next 10 years.
Under Sagarmala programme, more than 576 projects with an estimated project cost of INR 8.7 Lac Crore have been identified for implementation over 20 years. Development would be done across areas of port modernization and new port development, enhancing connectivity of ports, industrialization linked to ports and coastal community development.
The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, had given its ‘in-principle’ approval for the concept and institutional framework of Sagarmala Project on 25th May 2015. The National Perspective Plan (NPP) was released by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the inaugural Maritime India Summit held in April 2016, in Mumbai.