Gujarat Ready to Support Sustainable Growth of Maritime Sector, Says CM Bhupendra Patel

Gandhinagar : Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel on Thursday said that the state is ready to provide an encouraging environment of investment and innovation for the sustainable growth of the maritime sector.

Patel was speaking at the concluding session of the 3rd Global Maritime India Summit-2023 organized in Mumbai under the aegis of the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways of the Central Government.

He said that the summit has highlighted the possibilities of the maritime sector on a large scale and proved appropriate in presenting the potential inherent in Gujarat's maritime sector to the world.

Gujarat, with 1600 km long coastline, is a state contributing 39 per cent of cargo handling through one major and 48 non-major ports. Gujarat also leads the logistics index and as a result of the Alang ship breaking facilities the country is ranked second in the world in the ship recycling sector.

Patel requested the global shipping industry operators to start their business by taking advantage of the incentives provided for ship leasing services in the Gujarat International Finance Tech-City (GIFT City) built in Gujarat under the inspiration of the Prime Minister.

He also invited the leaders of shipping and maritime sector to participate in the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit to be organized in the coming January-2024.

Patel said that the special features of the 'National Maritime Heritage Complex', which presents the grand history of the ancient port of Lothal in Gujarat, were also mentioned before all the people present at the summit.

He specifically mentioned that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the maritime sector has successfully progressed in the field of economic progress and infrastructure development and has made a significant contribution in making India one of the economic powers at the global level.

The Chief Minister said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given the vision of a developed India @2047, which Gujarat is fully committed to realize through a sustainable and prosperous blue economy.

In the closing ceremony, Government of India's Ports, Shipping and Waterways Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal and Union Ministers of State Shripad Naik, Shantanu Thakur and Dr. Mahendra Munjpara, besides Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, senior secretaries of the Central Government and Gujarat were present. Maritime Board Chairman S.S. Rathore and Vice Chairman and Managing Director Rajkumar Beniwal were present.