The Indian government has officially designated Galathea Bay, located in the Andaman & Nicobar Islands, as a 'Major Port.' This significant move brings the proposed Rs 44,000 crore mega project under the jurisdiction of the central Ministry of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways. It now qualifies for central funding and will be developed through a public-private partnership model.
Currently, India has 12 Major Ports managed by the central government and around 200 non-major ports overseen by state authorities. Of these 200 non-major ports, approximately 65 handle cargo, while the rest are used by fishing boats and ferries for passenger transport.
Once completed, the Galathea Bay port is expected to capture a substantial portion of the transshipped cargo that is currently routed through ports outside India. The development will be carried out in four phases, with Phase 1 set to commence in 2028, aiming for a handling capacity of about 4 million TEUs (Twenty-foot Equivalent Units). The port's capacity is projected to increase to 16 million TEUs by 2058.
In addition to Galathea Bay, plans are underway to upgrade three existing ports—Vadhavan-Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority (JNPA) Cluster, Paradip Port, and Deendayal Port—into Mega Ports with capacities exceeding 300 million tonnes per annum (MTPA).
As part of the Maritime Amrit Kaal Vision 2047, the government aims to develop four port clusters with capacities greater than 300 MTPA and two with capacities over 500 MTPA, marking a new era for India's maritime infrastructure.
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