KOCHI: The budget proposal to launch ‘Mission Samudra’, a visionary project aimed at elevating the state into a formidable power on the global maritime map within the next five years, has found favour with the leading players in the maritime sector. The mission proposes to integrate Kerala’s 600-kilometre coastline, two international seaports, a container transshipment terminal, 17 non-major ports, and numerous other aquatic resources.
The project -- aimed at positioning Kerala as a cohesive ‘Port City’ -- will integrate the road, sea, rail, and inland waterway networks with manufacturing zones and greenfield cities, thereby fundamentally transforming the state into a thriving maritime economy. Chief Minister V D Satheesan, who also handles the finance portfolio, has set aside Rs 400 crore in the budget for Mission Samudra.
The budget proposes to expedite the Balaramapuram-Vizhinjam underground railway and the Vizhinjam-Navaikulam Outer Ring Road projects to provide road and rail connectivity for the Vizhinjam Transshipment Terminal. Manufacturing zones, stuffing centres, and dry ports will be established in the vicinity of the Vizhinjam and Kochi ports.
Capitalising on the global shipping industry’s transition toward eco-friendly fuels, Vizhinjam will be developed as India’s primary port offering green bunkering services. A shipbuilding hub dedicated to the construction and maintenance of mother ships will also be established. The requisite land will be acquired, and the necessary infrastructure will be developed to support these ventures. A specific percentage of the employment opportunities generated through these initiatives will be reserved for coastal communities, the chief minister said in the budget speech.
The government will formulate a comprehensive ‘Kerala Maritime Policy’ to catalyse the development of the state’s four primary non-major ports -- Vizhinjam-Kovalam, Kollam, Beypore and Azhikkal. This policy will promote seaborne freight transport, port-led industries, logistics, and allied shipping activities.
A comprehensive water transport system connecting the major and minor ports will be developed in strategic phases, according to the proposal.
Welcoming the vision for the development of the maritime ecosystem in Kerala, Cochin Shipyard chairman and managing director V J Jose said the CSL would be glad to associate with the state in furthering the development of a professional ecosystem in the sector.
“As a leading shipyard of India, we view such initiatives as a timely intervention, especially at a time when the Union government, through its Maritime India Vision 2030 and Maritime Amritkal Vision 2047, has also identified this as a priority sector for the country,” Jose said.
“The proposal to develop Kerala as a Port City is a very positive initiative. Steps to connect the major and minor ports and the development of a shipbuilding hub has immense job potential. This is the first time the state is giving such importance to the maritime sector. If we can align the project with central schemes, there is possibility of funding. It should be a hub of international standards and we should maintain the highest levels of safety and quality,” said Madhu S Nair, a former chairman of Cochin Shipyard.
