Union minister Sarbananda Sonowal unveils Rs 1,500 crore infrastructure and CSR projects in Mangaluru
Mangaluru: Union minister for ports, shipping and waterways Sarbananda Sonowal on Thursday inaugurated 16 major infrastructure projects and 113 CSR initiatives worth Rs 1,500 crore during the golden jubilee celebrations of the New Mangalore Port Authority (NMPA).
Addressing the event, Sonowal said the new projects mark a significant boost to India’s maritime infrastructure and align with the government’s Maritime India Vision 2030 and Maritime Amrit Kaal Vision 2047. He noted that the NMPA has also signed MoUs worth Rs 52,000 crore during India Maritime Week 2025 in Mumbai.
Reflecting on the port’s journey since its commissioning in 1975, Sonowal said NMPA now handles more than 46 million tonnes of cargo annually and has set a target to reach 100 million tonnes by 2047. According to the release, the port has achieved 92 per cent mechanisation and functions as India’s largest coffee exporter and the second-largest LPG importer.
The minister also inaugurated the upgraded Mangalore Marine College and Technology (MMCT) campus and a newly constructed Rs 9.51-crore office building for the Mercantile Marine Department (MMD).
Highlighting India’s expanding maritime workforce, Sonowal said the number of Indian seafarers has surged from 1.08 lakh in 2014 to over 3.2 lakh today. He projected that by 2030, one in every five seafarers globally will be from India.
He further announced that NMPA has fully transitioned to solar power and adopted green cargo handling policies as part of its sustainability initiatives.
Sonowal added that Karnataka currently has 32 ongoing Sagarmala projects worth Rs 6,526 crore aimed at boosting port-led growth, coastal connectivity and industrial development.
Union minister Pralhad Joshi, MP Brijesh Chowta, former MP Nalin Kumar Kateel, MLAs Dr Bharath Shetty and D Vedavyasa Kamath, along with senior officials from the port and shipping sectors, attended the event.
(with inputs from agencies)
