'One Nation One Port' Process To Begin For India's Maritime Sector By 2027

The 21st Maritime State Development Council (MSDC) meeting was held in Mumbai with landmark outcomes for India's maritime sector. In a major step towards ease of doing business, the Council resolved that the One Nation One Port Process (ONOP) reforms, including One Nation One Documentation, Port Process Re-engineering, and Inter-ministerial Process Reforms, to be implemented across all ports by March 2027.

The council resolved that all ports shall integrate with the Maritime Single Window (MSW-Sagar Setu) by March 2027, ensuring unified digital processes nationwide. Transparency of port tariffs through electronic publication was also mandated. To support uniform implementation, Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal launched the 'Ready Reckoner for Implementing ONOP' - a comprehensive guide for major and other than major ports.

This was the first meeting of the MSDC, originally constituted in 1997, after its recognition as a statutory consultative body under the Indian Ports Act, 2025, notified on 15th May 2026. The meeting was chaired by Sonowal.

The MSDC meeting brought together Ministers of Coastal States, Administrators of Union Territories, senior officials of State Maritime Boards, Chairpersons of Major Ports, allied maritime institutions, and representatives of Central Ministries such as Kanubhai Desai, Finance Minister of Gujarat; Digambar V Kamat, Minister (Ports), Government of Goa; Nitesh Rane, Minister of Fisheries and Ports Development, Government of Maharashtra; Malladi Krishna Rao, Minister from Puducherry.

Sonowal, in a statement, said, "The MSDC has now entered a new statutory phase, strengthening cooperative federalism in maritime governance. With the adoption of MIV 2030 and MAKV 2047 targets, India's ports and shipping sector will be future-ready, competitive and aligned with global standards. The Council's resolutions today mark a decisive step towards integrated maritime growth and port-led industrialisation."

During the deliberations, the Council adopted the Maritime India Vision 2030 and Maritime Amrit Kaal Vision 2047 targets, which together identify over 500 initiatives across ports, shipping, inland waterways, shipbuilding, green shipping and global collaboration.

"The Indian Ports Act gave the MSD council its legal foundation. Today the Centre and the coastal states turned that foundation into a shared work plan, with deadlines every one of us has agreed to meet..."This is cooperative federalism in maritime governance, delivering for our ports and for port-led industrialisation," Sonowal said.

The Council gave particular emphasis to port connectivity, shipbuilding and cruise shipping. It resolved to prioritise connectivity projects under Sagarmala, implement the National Coastal and Inland Shipping Strategic Plan, promote modal shift of cargo to coastal shipping, facilitate development of shipbuilding, ship-repair and recycling clusters, and leverage the Maritime Development Fund, Ship-building Development Scheme and Ship-building Financial Assistance Programme for financing. 

Cruise shipping infrastructure development at Major and Non-Major Ports was also endorsed.

A significant announcement was also made by Sonowal, introducing two specialised credit risk insurance products to support India's shipbuilding industry under the National Shipbuilding Mission. Developed under the Shipbuilding Development Scheme (SbDS), these first-of-their-kind insurance policies aim to reduce financial stress in large-scale ship manufacturing.