West Bengal to be a major maritime-logistics hub
Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal and Chief Minister of West Bengal, Suvendu Adhikari, discussed in Kolkata on 4 June the possibility of transforming West Bengal as Eastern India’s Maritime hub with a proposed investment pipeline of Rs.19,209 crore by 2031.
The projects are expected position the state as a major maritime and logistics hub for eastern India, said the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways.
The investment roadmap was reviewed during Sonowal’s meeting with Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, where both leaders discussed the future development of ports, inland waterways, shipbuilding, logistics and port-led industrialisation in the state.
The proposed investments, planned under the Maritime Amrit Kaal Vision 2047, include the development of the Balagarh Multimodal Logistics Hub, expansion and mechanisation of Kolkata and Haldia docks, strengthening of inland waterways, development of world-class shipbuilding and ship repair facilities, cruise tourism infrastructure, riverfront redevelopment and port-led industrial clusters.
Sonowal said the investment programme is designed to attract private capital, create large-scale employment and establish West Bengal as a preferred destination for maritime and logistics investments.
“West Bengal is central to India’s maritime future. With an investment pipeline of nearly Rs.19,209 crore, we aim to transform Bengal maritime hubs Kolkata and Haldia into the premier maritime gateway of eastern India,” Sonowal said.
The meeting underscored the Centre’s vision of leveraging West Bengal’s strategic geography, extensive river network and industrial base to transform the state into a leading maritime investment destination and growth engine for India.
“We had a productive discussion on several priority maritime and connectivity projects, including Sagarmala 2.0, the proposed tunnel across the Hooghly River, development of jetty infrastructure, dredging of National Waterway-1, protection of the Hooghly embankment, and issues related to land and irrigation infrastructure. These initiatives are important for strengthening West Bengal’s maritime ecosystem and supporting economic growth,” Suvendu Adhikari said.
The meeting was also attended by Shantanu Thakur, Union Minister of State for MoPSW along with the Secretary, MoPSW, Chief Secretary, Govt of West Bengal and other senior officials.
Highlighting the state’s growing maritime potential, Sonowal noted that cargo throughput at Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port has increased from 46.29 million metric tonnes in 2014 to 70.87 million metric tonnes in 2025-26, while inland waterways cargo movement has grown nearly five-fold over the past decade.
The minister said the proposed investments would strengthen logistics efficiency, reduce transportation costs, support exports and create an enabling ecosystem for industries dependent on maritime connectivity. He added that integrated development of ports, waterways, logistics parks and maritime manufacturing facilities would help accelerate economic growth across West Bengal and the wider eastern and northeastern region. fiinews.com
