In a historic move, the Rajya Sabha has passed the Indian Ports Bill, 2025, replacing the 117-year-old Indian Ports Act of 1908.
The legislation, introduced by Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, marks a transformative shift in India’s maritime governance and is poised to unlock the sector’s full potential.
The Bill establishes the Maritime State Development Council (MSDC), a statutory body to foster Centre–State coordination and draft a National Perspective Plan for integrated port development. It empowers coastal states to form State Maritime Boards, ensuring uniform governance across India’s 12 major and 200+ non-major ports.
Key reforms include the creation of Dispute Resolution Committees, mandatory compliance with international environmental conventions like MARPOL and Ballast Water Management, and a push for digitalization through Maritime Single Window and advanced vessel traffic systems.
Over the past decade, India’s maritime sector has seen exponential growth: cargo handling surged from 581 million tonnes in FY 2014–15 to 855 million tonnes in FY 2024–25, while ship turnaround time halved to 48 hours. Nine Indian ports now feature in the World Bank’s Container Port Performance Index.
Minister Sonowal hailed the Bill as a “milestone reform” aligned with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of a Viksit Bharat by 2047. The legislation now awaits Presidential assent and is expected to catalyze trade competitiveness, private investment, job creation, and sustainability.
