The Minister of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways in India, Sarbananda Sonowal, announced plans for significant maritime expansion in the country. India aims to increase its container handling capacity to 40 million TEUs in the next five years, leading to the creation of two million jobs. The Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority (JNPA) is set to increase its handling capacity from 6.6 million TEUs to 10 million TEUs. The ministry is developing dedicated clusters in various states and allocating land for hydrogen manufacturing hubs in ports like Kandla and VO Chidambarnar. Additionally, India will host the 'Sagarmanthan: The Great Ocean Conference' in Mumbai to emphasize ocean sustainability and blue economy growth. The Vadhvan Port project is expected to generate 1.2 million jobs and elevate an Indian port to the top 10 globally, improving shipping connectivity and reducing costs. The Tuticorin International Container Terminal will become a major transshipment hub, resulting in significant cost savings. Future initiatives include the development of the International Container Transshipment Port at Great Nicobar Island. The ministry also plans to enhance shipbuilding through financial assistance policies and establish a Maritime Development Fund. Digitalization efforts, like the EBS portal, will be implemented at major ports to improve operational efficiency, reduce logistics costs, and streamline operations.