Mumbai, Oct. 27: Hon’ble Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation, Shri Amit Shah inaugurated the India Maritime Week 2025 in Mumbai today. Admiral D.K. Joshi, PVSM, AVSM, YSM, NM, VSM (Retd.), Hon’ble Lieutenant Governor, A&N Islands & Vice Chairman, Islands Development Agency took part in the Andaman and Nicobar UT Session, reinforcing the vision of Viksit Bharat and Aatma Nirbhar Bharat, while emphasizing that Ports Development and Coastal Shipping are the main drivers of India’s contribution towards achieving a $5 trillion economy.
In his address, the Hon’ble Lt. Governor highlighted how the Andaman and Nicobar Islands stand as India’s Maritime Hub and a rising Blue Economy powerhouse, strategically positioned on vital global shipping lanes in the Indo-Pacific, playing a key role in defence and maritime domain awareness. He also underscored the vision of developing the Islands as a regional Shipbuilding and Repair Hub in the Indo-Pacific region.
Further, the Hon’ble Lt. Governor mentioned recent flagship projects, including the International Container Transshipment Terminal (ICTT) at Galathea Bay, which has been notified as a major port and is set to become one of the top three container-handling ports in the country, with a capacity of 16.5 million TEUs. Similarly, Port Meadows has been notified as the first ship-to-ship transshipment and Customs port for both exports and imports. The holistic development of Great Nicobar Island is also expected to significantly boost tourism and infrastructure growth in the region.
The Hon’ble Lt. Governor noted that digital transformation through the CANI project has enabled strong connectivity across more than 100 Islands. With the Islands Development Agency (IDA) driving sustainable growth through fisheries, marine biodiversity, and renewable resources, the A&N Administration is leading new initiatives such as Cruise Tourism to Barren Island, Government e-ticketing for ship travel, Water Metro integration, and the acquisition of new passenger vessels to further enhance Island connectivity and services.
The A&N Islands are thus emerging as India’s gateway to Southeast Asia and the global Blue Economy, advancing the ideals of adventure, sustainability, and digital transformation.