{"id":52024,"date":"2025-08-23T19:25:48","date_gmt":"2025-08-23T13:55:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/?p=52024"},"modified":"2025-08-26T11:55:07","modified_gmt":"2025-08-26T06:25:07","slug":"5-key-maritime-bills-blue-economy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/23-08-2025\/5-key-maritime-bills-blue-economy","title":{"rendered":"Parliament Passes Five Key Maritime Bills to Boost Blue Economy"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>Syllabus: GS3\/Economy<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Context<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The Parliament has passed <strong>five key bills<\/strong> in the just-concluded Monsoon Session, which overhauled colonial-era maritime laws and will boost the Blue Economy.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>About<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>The new bills are<\/strong> the Bills of Lading 2025, the Carriage of Goods by Sea Bill 2025, the Coastal Shipping Bill 2025, the Merchant Shipping Bill 2025, and the Indian Ports Bill 2025.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>The Bills of Lading, 2025, <\/strong>focuses on simplifying legal documents to reduce disputes and improve the ease of doing business.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>The Carriage of Goods by Sea Bill, 2025,<\/strong> replaced a 1925 Act, adopting Hague-Visby Rules for reduced litigation and stronger international ties.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>The Coastal Shipping Bill, 2025, <\/strong>targets reviving India\u2019s 6% modal share, saving around Rs 10,000 crore annually in logistics costs, and also reducing pollution and road congestion.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>The Merchant Shipping Bill, 2025,<\/strong> overhauled an outdated 1958 act, enabling expeditious wreck removal and salvage operations.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>The Indian Ports Bill, 2025,<\/strong> replaced an old 1908 law, created a Maritime State Development Council for better national planning, gave more power to state maritime boards to manage smaller ports, and set up a way to resolve disputes at the state level.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>India\u2019s Maritime Sector<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Strategic Position:<\/strong> Located along the world&#8217;s busiest shipping routes, India is a key trading hub and a rising global power.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>India\u2019s Maritime Sector Overview<\/strong>: Handles 95% of India\u2019s trade by volume and 70% by value, with port infrastructure critical to the economy.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Cargo Traffic Growth:<\/strong> Coastal cargo traffic surged by <strong>119% from 2014-2024,<\/strong> with a <strong>target of 230 million tonnes by 2030.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Surge in Merchandise Exports:<\/strong> India\u2019s merchandise exports rose to USD 451 billion in FY23, up from USD 417 billion in FY22.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Maritime Sector&#8217;s Importance: <\/strong>India is the <strong>16th-largest maritime nation<\/strong>, occupies a key position in global shipping, with major trade routes passing through its waters.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Achievements: <\/strong>The Ministry of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways has increased cargo handling capacity by <strong>103% in the last decade<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Future Goals: <\/strong>India has outlined investments of <strong>US$ 82 billion in port infrastructure projects by 2035 <\/strong>to bolster the maritime sector.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>India plans to establish a new shipping company to <strong>expand its fleet by at least 1,000 ships within a decade.&nbsp;<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Challenges&nbsp;<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Infrastructure Gaps:<\/strong> Inadequate port infrastructure and outdated facilities at some ports, limiting capacity and efficiency.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Congestion:<\/strong> High traffic volumes at major ports leading to delays, increased turnaround times, and reduced productivity.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Environmental Concerns:<\/strong> Pollution and sustainability issues, including emissions from ships and port operations.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Logistics Bottlenecks:<\/strong> Inefficient transport connectivity between ports, roads, and railways, impacting smooth cargo movement.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Global Competition:<\/strong> Rising competition from other global maritime hubs, necessitates continuous investment and modernization.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Initiatives by the Government<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Sagarmala Programme: <\/strong>Focuses on leveraging India\u2019s coastline and of navigable waterways.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Supports port infrastructure, coastal development, and connectivity.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Financial aid for projects like coastal berths, rail\/road connectivity, fish harbours, and cruise terminals.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/22-03-2023\/maritime-india-vision-miv-2030\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/22-03-2023\/maritime-india-vision-miv-2030\">Maritime India Vision 2030 (MIV 2030)<\/a>: <\/strong>Aiming for India to become a top 10 shipbuilding nation by 2030 and create a world-class, efficient, and sustainable maritime ecosystem.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Includes 150+ initiatives across ten key maritime sectors.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Inland Waterways Development: <\/strong>26 new national waterways identified by the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI).\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Provides alternative, sustainable transport, easing road\/rail congestion.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Green Tug Transition Program (GTTP): <\/strong>Aims to replace fuel-based harbour tugs with eco-friendly, sustainable fuel-powered tugs.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Transition to be completed by 2040 across major ports.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Sagarmanthan Dialogue: <\/strong>An annual maritime strategic dialogue to position India as a global center for maritime conversations.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Maritime Development Fund: <\/strong>\u20b925,000 crore fund for long-term financing to modernize ports and shipping infrastructure.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Shipbuilding Financial Assistance Policy (SBFAP 2.0): <\/strong>Modernized to help Indian shipyards compete with global giants.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Conclusion<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>India&#8217;s maritime sector is poised for significant growth, underscored by its strategic initiatives and government schemes.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>In 2024, the first edition of Sagarmanthan further cemented India&#8217;s commitment to becoming a global maritime leader, bringing together stakeholders to discuss key themes such as sustainability, connectivity, and governance.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The efforts will take India\u2019s maritime sector toward a sustainable, innovative, and future-ready ecosystem, ensuring its place as a central player in the global maritime landscape.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Source: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.newsonair.gov.in\/parliament-passes-five-key-maritime-bills-to-boost-blue-economy-union-minister-sarbananda-sonowal\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>AIR<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<h3><strong>Context<\/strong><\/h3>\n<li class=\"ms-5\">The Parliament has passed five key bills in the just-concluded Monsoon Session, which overhauled colonial-era maritime laws and will boost the Blue Economy.<\/li>\n<p><\/p>\n<h3><strong>India\u2019s Maritime Sector<\/strong><\/h3>\n<li class=\"ms-5\">Strategic Position: Located along the world&#8217;s busiest shipping routes, India is a key trading hub and a rising global power.<\/li>\n<li class=\"ms-5\">India\u2019s Maritime Sector Overview: Handles 95% of India\u2019s trade by volume and 70% by value, with port infrastructure critical to the economy.<\/li>\n<li class=\"ms-5\">Cargo Traffic Growth: Coastal cargo traffic surged by 119% from 2014-2024, with a target of 230 million tonnes by 2030.<\/li>\n<li class=\"ms-5\">Surge in Merchandise Exports: India\u2019s merchandise exports rose to USD 451 billion in FY23, up from USD 417 billion in FY22.<\/li>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/23-08-2025\/5-key-maritime-bills-blue-economy\" class=\"btn btn-primary btn-sm float-end\">Read\u00a0More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[21],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-52024","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-current-affairs"],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/52024","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=52024"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/52024\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":52138,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/52024\/revisions\/52138"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=52024"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=52024"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=52024"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}