BIMSTEC Ports Conclave begins: Sonowal for

The second edition of Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) Ports' Conclave began here on Monday with the assertion by Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal that Indian ports are no longer just gateways of trade but have been transformed into engines of regional prosperity.

Inaugurating the conclave, he said India is all set to find a place among top five maritime nations globally and asked the stakeholders and representatives from the BIMSTEC member-countries to help create an ecosystem where private players will play a big role in reshaping the economies in the region.

Stating there is enormous potentiality to explore trade and commerce between the BIMSTEC member-nations Thailand, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Nepal and Bhutan, he said "through initiatives like Sagarmala, Harit Sagar and the Maritime Amrit Kaal Vision 2047, we are setting global benchmarks in green shipping, infrastructure and maritime workforce development."

Sonowal, who had a word of praise to Visakhapatnam Port Authority (VPA) for hosting the conclave after a gap of six years with a lot of spadework, said the members of BIMSTEC, the international organisation of seven South Asian and Southeast nations, with a population of 1.73 billion, have immense potential to increase their collaborations with a combined GDP of USD5.2 trillion.

He said BIMSTEC needs to promote further cooperation in the fields of tgrade, investment, connectivity and infrastructure development with a greater integration by exploring Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) and regional value chains.

Later in a post on X, he said: "Towards a shared maritime destiny in the Bay of Bengal!: Delighted to inaugurate the 2nd BIMSTEC Ports Conclave 2025 in Visakhapatnam along with MoS Shri @Shantanu_bjp ji and MP Shri @sribharatm ji. Guided by the Neighbourhood First policy of Hon'ble PM Shri @narendramodi ji, India is working shoulder-to-shoulder with our BIMSTEC partners to build seamless connectivity, strengthen capacity and boost commerce across the region."

He stated: The recently signed BIMSTEC Agreement on Maritime Transport Cooperation marks a historic turning point, paving the way for EoDB, port integration and mutual recognition of vessels, crew and cargo - a collective commitment to shared growth. India’s ports are no longer just gateways of trade, they are engines of regional prosperity. Through initiatives like Sagarmala, Harit Sagar and the Maritime Amrit Kaal Vision 2047, we are setting global benchmarks in green shipping, infrastructure and maritime workforce development. Together, let us realise our vision of “Ports for Prosperity, Ports for Progress, Ports for Productivity” and usher in a new era of maritime cooperation."

Union Minister of State for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Shantanu Thakur called for finalising a roadmap for regional cooperation among the BIMSTEC member-countries.

VPA Chairman Dr. M. Angamuthu elaborated on steps being taken by the port, considered the best in ensuring seamless handling of cargo, to become a preferred gateway for Southeast Asia and thanked the support from the ministry for going ahead with its growth plans. He said the port has taken several green initiatives to handle clean cargo and reduce carbon footprint.

Vizag MP M. Sribharat mentioned how Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu is keen on ensuring port-led development by creating sector-specific ports for every 50 km in the vast coastline of nearly 1,000 km in Andhra Pradesh.

Secretary, Ports, Shipping and Waterways T.K. Ramachandran outlined the vision for Amrit Kaal@2047, Prime Minister's Gatishakti and Sagarmala to reduce logistic cost by removing the existing bottlenecks and plugging avoidable delays.