Sagarmala Project: Important Topics for UPSC Exams

What is Sagarmala project?

Sagarmala project is for promoting port-led direct and indirect development and to provide infrastructure to transport goods to and from ports quickly, efficiently and cost-effectively.
It aims to develop access to new development regions with intermodal solutions and promotion of the optimum modal split, enhanced connectivity with main economic centres and beyond through expansion of rail, inland water, coastal and road services.

Port-led Development through appropriate policy and institutional interventions and providing for an institutional framework for ensuring inter-agency and ministries/departments/states’ collaboration for integrated development
Port Infrastructure Enhancement, including modernization and setting up of new ports
Efficient Evacuation to and from hinterland.

Enhancement of the capacity of major and non-major ports and modernizing them to make them efficient.
Optimization of the existing and future transport assets and developing new linkages for transport (including roads, rail, inland waterways and coastal routes), setting up of logistics hubs.
Establishment of industries and manufacturing centres to be served by ports in EXIM and domestic trade.
Strengthening port and evacuation infrastructure and simplifying procedures used at ports for cargo movement and promotes usage of electronic channels for information exchange for quick, efficient, hassle-free and seamless cargo movement.

Port-led industrialization.
Port based urbanization.
Port based and coastal tourism and recreational activities.
Short-sea shipping coastal shipping and Inland Waterways Transportation.
Ship building, ship repair and ship recycling.
Logistics parks, warehousing, maritime zones/services.
Integration with hinterland hubs.
Offshore storage, drilling platforms .
Specialization of ports in certain economic activities such as energy, containers, chemicals, coal, agro products, etc.
Offshore Renewable Energy Projects with base ports for installations.
Modernizing the existing ports and development of new ports.

Since Indian ports handles 90% of India’s EXIM trade volume, sagarmala project would be a turnaround initiative in the faster delivery of trade as well as cost optimization.
It will help in ease of doing business.
It will reduce farm to factory timing of the products as well as raw materials.
It will lead to employment generation.
In future India may become the major destination of port led trade among major economies of east and west.