The Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways runs Sagarmala as one of its flagship Central Sector Schemes, and the programme is still expanding India’s port-led development agenda. The work spans port modernization, connectivity, coastal community development, industrialization, and inland water transport. By July 2026, 79 projects worth ₹5,374.5 crore were finished, with another 54 projects worth ₹4,538.2 crore in progress across four major pillars.
Building up port infrastructure
Work on the infrastructure hasn’t slowed down. The goal is simple: more capacity, faster turnaround, smoother operations. That means new berths and terminals, mechanized and upgraded facilities, capital dredging so bigger vessels can dock, stronger road and rail links, and extras like parking plazas at sites.
The One Nation One Port Process has played a role too, smoothing out how they operate day to day. The numbers show it: cargo handling capacity across Major Ports and besides it, sat around 1,400 Million Tonnes Per Annum back in 2013-14. By March 2026, it had climbed to 2,818 MTPA.
Connecting ports to the hinterland
Getting cargo or shipping it to the rest of the country efficiently is essentially its own challenge, and that’s what the connectivity pillar is built around. Road, rail, and inland waterways all feed into this, cutting logistics costs and moving goods faster.
Back in 2022, the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade put together a Comprehensive Connectivity Plan. The Ministry used it to map out 294 road and rail projects. So far, 84 are done, 66 are being built, and 144 are still on the drawing board. Ports handle the work inside their own boundaries; anything outside that falls to the Railways Ministry, the Road Transport and Highways Ministry, and state governments.
Inland waterways have seen progress as well. The Inland Waterways Authority of India has completed three Multi-Modal Terminals and one intermodal terminal on National Waterway-1, a Multi-Modal Terminal along with three Inland Water Transport terminals on National Waterway-2, nine IWT terminals on National Waterway-3, two Roll-on/Roll-off terminals in Ernakulam, and one more Ro-Ro terminal on National Waterway-4.
Andhra Pradesh’s share of the programme
Andhra Pradesh has drawn significant Sagarmala funding: ₹272 crore sanctioned for nine projects worth ₹1,286 crore total. The projects touch Ro-Pax and passenger jetties, fishing harbours and coastal skill training.
Seven of those nine projects are already complete. That list includes a coastal berth and connectivity work in Visakhapatnam, the Juvvaladinne Fishing Harbour, upgrades to Kakinada Anchorage, and coastal district skill development efforts. The remaining two, modernizing the Visakhapatnam Fishing Harbour and running Phase II of the Coastal District Skill Development Programme, are still underway.
Key Takeaway: Port capacity keeps rising, connectivity keeps improving, and states like Andhra Pradesh keep drawing fresh investment. Taken together, that’s what Sagarmala is delivering: a maritime sector that’s more connected and more competitive than it was a decade ago.
MCQ’s:
1. The Sagarmala Programme is implemented by which of the following ministries?
A. Ministry of Commerce and Industry
B. Ministry of Shipping and Waterways
C. Ministry of Road Transport and Highways
D. Ministry of Heavy Industries
2. Under the Sagarmala Programme, India’s total cargo handling capacity increased to approximately:
A. 1,800 MTPA
B. 2,000 MTPA
C. 2,818 MTPA
D. 3,500 MTPA
