Sonowal inaugurates steel cutting for India’s 1st all-electric green tug

Kandla: The Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW), Sarbananda Sonowal virtually flagged off the steel-cutting ceremony for India’s first all-electric green tug, marking a major milestone in the country’s shift toward sustainable and energy-efficient maritime operations. The tug, designed for Deendayal Port Authority (DPA) in Kandla, is being developed under the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways’ Green Tug Transition Programme (GTTP), a flagship initiative aimed at accelerating India’s maritime decarbonisation efforts.

The ceremony was attended virtually by Minister of State for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Shantanu Thakur; Secretary, MoPSW, Vijay Kumar, IAS; DPA Chairman Sushil Kumar Singh, IRSME; senior officials of DPA Kandla; representatives from Netincon and Ripley; technical experts from Kongsberg; and engineers from Atreya Shipyard, which is undertaking the tug’s construction.

Sonowal said that the launch of the country’s first all-electric green tug reflects India’s strong commitment to clean energy integration in the maritime sector.