STAFF REPORTER
GUWAHATI: Union Minister of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways, Sarbananda Sonowal, said the Union Budget had delivered a decisive push to India’s economic transformation by accelerating reforms, strengthening growth fundamentals, and positioning the maritime sector as a key pillar in achieving the vision of Viksit Bharat. He stated that the Budget reflected the government’s commitment to the three Kartavyas of accelerating and sustaining growth, fulfilling aspirations through capacity building and ensuring inclusive development in line with the principle of Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas.
Sonowal said Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership had ensured that the “Reform Express” continued at a steady pace, choosing action over indecision, reform over rhetoric and people over populism. He said this approach had resulted in more than a decade of stable governance marked by fiscal discipline and sustained economic expansion. According to him, the budget aimed to boost productivity, enhance resilience and ensure that every sector, region, and community could contribute meaningfully to national growth.
Highlighting the maritime sector, Sonowal said the Budget had clearly identified it as a strategic driver of trade competitiveness, logistics efficiency and long-term economic strength. He added that an enabling ecosystem had been created to empower stakeholders, transporters and industry partners to expand capacity and operations. He expressed appreciation for Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman for presenting her ninth consecutive Union Budget, describing it as an example of policy continuity, reform stability and women’s leadership.
One of the major announcements in the budget was the launch of the Container Manufacturing Assistance Scheme (CMAS) with an outlay of Rs 10,000 crore over five years. Sonowal said the scheme was designed to build a globally competitive container manufacturing ecosystem in India, supporting the rapid growth of containerised cargo, which accounts for a significant share of international trade. He said the initiative targeted the creation of a domestic manufacturing capacity of around one million TEUs annually over the next decade and was expected to generate a market value exceeding Rs 1 lakh crore, while creating thousands of direct and indirect jobs and reducing dependence on imported containers.
The Union Minister said the Budget had also infused new momentum into India’s inland waterways programme. He noted that 20 new national waterways would be operationalised over the next five years, expanding the network for greener and more cost-effective cargo movement. He recalled that the number of national waterways had increased substantially since 2014 and that cargo movement and operational length had seen sharp growth, easing pressure on road and rail infrastructure.
Sonowal said special emphasis had been placed on the development of National Waterway–5 on the Mahanadi river system in Odisha, which would connect mineral belts with industrial centres and ports. He said the project, involving major terminals and key bulk cargo, was expected to unlock significant economic potential with substantial investment.
To strengthen capacity-building, the budget announced the establishment of regional centers of excellence for skill development in the inland waterways sector, with training institutes planned at Kolkata and Varanasi and a center also coming up in Dibrugarh, Assam. He added that dedicated ship repair facilities would be developed at Varanasi and Patna to improve operational efficiency and generate skilled employment.
The Budget also proposed a Coastal Cargo Promotion Scheme to encourage a shift from road and rail to waterways, along with new Dedicated Freight Corridors to improve port connectivity and multimodal integration. Sonowal said steps such as the indigenisation of seaplane manufacturing, incentives for Indian ship ownership, and extensions of tax and customs benefits would strengthen domestic shipping and fleet expansion.
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