new delhi: Union Ports, Shipping and Waterways minister Sarbananda Sonowal inaugurated the curtain raiser ceremony of the Golden Jubilee Celebrations of the New Mangalore Port Authority (NMPA) here on Wednesday.
Marking 50 years of NMPA’s service to India’s maritime trade, Sonowal launched eight major infrastructure projects aimed at enhancing port capacity, logistics efficiency, and sustainability. These include a modern cruise terminal, covered storage facilities, a 150-bed multi-speciality hospital, expanded truck terminals, and upgraded port access infrastructure. To commemorate the milestone, the minister also unveiled a postal stamp, a commemorative coin, and the Golden Jubilee Anthem.
Sonowal lauded the port’s transformation into a key trade hub, noting that it now handles 46 million tonnes of cargo annually with a total capacity of 104 million tonnes per annum. “As we move towards ‘Viksit Bharat 2047’ under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, our ports will play a crucial role in achieving the target of making India a $30 trillion economy. To become a ‘Viksit Bharat’ and ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’, we must also become a Viksit Atmanirbhar Maritime Nation by 2047,” he said. Sonowal also praised NMPA’s green initiatives, asserting that “the economy should not grow at the cost
of ecology.”