Maharashtra to Notify New Maritime Policy with Single-Window Clearances: Nitesh Rane
Maharashtra will soon notify a comprehensive maritime development policy offering single-window clearances and dedicated administrative facilitation to prospective maritime enterprises, state Minister of Fisheries and Ports Development Nitesh Narayan Rane announced on Monday. Addressing the inaugural session of FICCI's Maritime India Conference & Expo 2026 in New Delhi, Rane pledged that investors coming to the state would receive red-carpet treatment alongside streamlined regulatory approvals.
Highlighting recent sectoral progress, Rane cited a tripartite agreement signed between the Maharashtra government, the Centre, and Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders to establish the country's largest shipyard. The project represents an investment of Rs 26,500 crore and is projected to generate employment for approximately 50,000 personnel. Rane noted that every memorandum of understanding signed by Maharashtra at the previous year's India Maritime Summit has since converted into an actual investment.
Rane explained that the administration had earlier notified a dedicated policy covering shipbuilding, ship repair, and recycling during its first 100 days of governance. Under that regulatory framework, state authorities extended targeted assistance to project developers to secure environmental clearances and complete land acquisition proceedings, which he identified as the primary operational bottlenecks encountered by commercial shipbuilders.
Speaking at the event, FICCI President-Elect and Chairman of Sanmar Group Vijay Sankar noted that major ports across India handled an unprecedented 915 million tonnes of cargo during financial year 2025-26, registering a 7 per cent annual growth rate that exceeded operational targets. Sankar noted that the central government's Rs 70,000 crore budgetary package for shipbuilding and port-allied sectors provides significant financial potential for regional administrations.
Other public officials and port executives detailed ongoing capacity expansions during the session. Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority Chairperson Gaurav Dayal projected port throughput to cross 9 million TEUs this year, while Directorate General of Maritime Administration Nautical Adviser SI Abul Kalam Azad stated that statutory ship registration timelines have now been reduced to 24 hours. Shipping Corporation of India Chairman Binesh Tyagi noted consolidated order pipelines in container and hydrocarbon segments, and JM Baxi Managing Director Dhruv Kotak called on manufacturers to harness India's skilled workforce.
The conference also featured diplomatic engagement, with Thierry Van Helden, Consul and Deputy Head of Mission at the Netherlands Consulate General in Mumbai, confirming that a Dutch shipbuilding trade delegation will tour India in February 2027 under the India-Netherlands Green and Digital Sea Corridor initiative. FICCI additionally released four knowledge reports recommending a national container manufacturing mission to help India capture 8 to 10 per cent of global container manufacturing capacity within five years.
