India, US agree to enhance cooperation in maritime sector

American ports have evinced keen interest in having comprehensive cooperation with India in developing the country's ports, especially the ambitious Sagarmala programme, officials said as Union Minister Nitin Gadkari concluded his week-long trip to the US.
During his meeting with officials, Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Gadkari explored joint venture opportunities with India's flagship container handling Jawaharlal Nehru Port (JNPT) to promote transfer of technology and enhance bilateral commerce.
Gadkari, who had a tour of the Port of Long Beach, offered investment opportunities in building and developing new ports, construction of new berths/terminals in existing ports, coastal economic zones, dredging, ship building, ship repairing, ship recycling, development of inland waterways and coastal and cruise shipping.

The Sagarmala programme with 150 projects have the potential of mobilising USD 50-60 billion of infrastructure investment and another USD 100 billion for promoting industrial growth.
Gadkari said the government had agreed to provide maritime clusters for ancillary industrial support and design centres, as well as financial assistance to meet the challenge of lack of competitive advantage due to heavy subsidies provided by major shipbuilding countries to their shipbuilding industry.
He also highlighted the vision of Sagarmala, envisaging reduction of logistics cost for EXIM and domestic trade with minimal infrastructure investment, aimed at creating four million new direct jobs and another six million indirect jobs.

Gadkari told the US maritime sector that thematic studies and action plans have been developed across sector for implementation, prominent elements of which include coastal shipping revolution, coastal industrial Greenfield plants, reduced time to export container by five days and reducing cost to export by USD 50 per container.
Gadkari, who reached Los Angeles from San Francisco by road, wanted to have a first hand experience of theof the latest techniques in road engineering, highway construction, road signage and other effective measures for road safety along this prestigious ocean route, his officials said.
"Undertaking a coastal drive by road from San Francisco to Los Angeles, the distance of 800 kms was covered by Gadkari in 10 hours, to gain, what he said, first-hand experience of the latest techniques in road engineering, highway construction, road signage and other effective measures for road safety along this prestigious ocean route," an official said.