PM Modi laid the foundation stone of transformative projects worth ₹2400 Cr of DPA, Kandla
GANDHIDHAM : Deendayal Port Authority, Kandla also witnessed the LIVE screening of “Samudra Se Samriddhi” by Hon’ble PM Shri Narendra Modi ji at the Administrative Office, Gandhidham. The occasion was graced by Shri Vinodbhai Chavda, Hon’ble MP (Kutch); Smt. Maltiben Maheshwari, Hon’ble MLA (Gandhidham) and with senior officials of Port, employees & school students at large,
Hon’ble PM Shri Narendra Modi ji was briefed by Shri Sushil Kumar Singh, IRSME, Chairman DPA, on the proposed mega Port Terminal at Kandla, featuring a 6 km waterfront.
This landmark project will add a massive 135+ MMTPA cargo handling capacity, powering India’s maritime growth story.
PM Modi laid the foundation stone of transformative projects worth ₹2400 Cr of DPA, Kandla. PM inaugurated & laid the foundation stone of development works worth over Rs 34,200 crore in Bhavnagar. Addressing the ‘Samudra se Samriddhi’ event, the Prime Minister welcomed all the dignitaries and the people.
Chief Minister of Gujarat, Shri Bhupendrabhai Patel, Union Ministers, Shri C. R. Patil, Shri Sarbananda Sonowal, Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya, Shri Shantanu Thakur, Smt Nimuben Bambhaniya were present among other dignitaries at the event.
Citing India’s shipping sector as a major example of the damage caused by flawed policies, Shri Modi remarked that India was historically a leading maritime power and one of the world’s largest shipbuilding hubs. Ships built in India’s coastal states once powered domestic and global trade. Even fifty years ago, India used domestically built ships, with over 40 percent of import-export conducted through them. The Prime Minister criticized the current opposition party stating that the shipping sector later fell victim to their misguided policies and instead of strengthening domestic shipbuilding, they preferred paying freight to foreign vessels. This led to the collapse of India’s shipbuilding ecosystem and forced dependence on foreign ships. As a result, the share of Indian ships in trade dropped from 40 percent to just 5 percent. The Prime Minister emphasized that today, 95 percent of India’s trade relies on foreign ships—a dependency that has caused significant loss to the nation.
Highlighting that a historic decision was taken yesterday to strengthen India’s maritime sector, Shri Modi announced a major policy reform under which large ships have now been accorded infrastructure status. He remarked that when a sector receives infrastructure recognition, it gains significant advantages. The PM highlighted that shipbuilding companies will now find it easier to secure loans from banks and will benefit from reduced interest rates. All benefits associated with infrastructure financing will now be extended to these shipbuilding enterprises. Shri Modi emphasized that this decision will reduce the financial burden on Indian shipping companies and help them compete more effectively in the global market.
“India’s coastlines will become gateways to national prosperity”, exclaimed the Prime Minister. He expressed happiness that Gujarat’s coastline is once again proving to be a boon for the region. He remarked that this entire area is now setting a new benchmark for port-led development in the country. Shri Modi highlighted that 40 percent of the cargo arriving via sea routes in India is handled by Gujarat’s ports and these ports will soon benefit from the Dedicated Freight Corridor, which will enable faster movement of goods to other parts of the country and further enhance port efficiency.