Indian Ports Bill, 2025: Modernizing India’s Maritime Future Passed By Loksabha

On 12 August 2025, the Lok Sabha passed the Indian Ports Bill, 2025, a landmark reform aimed at modernizing port governance, streamlining trade processes, and aligning India’s maritime sector with global best practices.

Introduced by Union Minister of Ports, Shipping & Waterways, Shri Sarbananda Sonowal, the bill replaces the Indian Ports Act, 1908, a colonial-era law, with a future-ready legal framework supporting the Prime Minister’s vision of “Ports for Prosperity.”

Background

• Indian Ports Act, 1908 Enacted during the colonial era, it governed port administration for over a century but had become outdated in the face of modern logistics and trade demands.
• Need for Change: Rapid growth in global trade, containerized cargo, and environmental concerns necessitated a digitized, sustainable, and competitive port ecosystem.
• Government’s Vision: Linked to initiatives like Sagarmala Programme and Maritime India Vision 2030, aiming to make India a top global maritime nation by 2047.

Key Objectives of the Indian Ports Bill, 2025

• Replace archaic legislation with modern, transparent, and efficiency-focused port governance.
• Boost cooperative federalism via the Maritime State Development Council (MSDC).
• Enhance ease of doing business (EODB) by digitizing port procedures.
• Ensure environmental sustainability through green port initiatives and pollution control.
• Promote investment through clear Public-Private Partnership (PPP) and FDI provisions.
• Standardize safety and operational protocols across all Indian ports.

Major Provisions

Institutional Reforms

Maritime State Development Council (MSDC)

• Includes representatives from Central and State Governments.
• Coordinates national port development strategies.
• Resolves inter-state and port authority disputes.

State Maritime Boards

• Strengthened to manage non-major ports effectively.
• Empowered to undertake port expansion and modernization.

Dispute Resolution Committees

• Fast-track resolution of conflicts between ports, users, and service providers.

Operational Reforms

• Tariff Autonomy: Ports can set competitive tariffs under a transparent framework.
• Integrated Planning: Long-term development strategies for cargo growth and connectivity.
• Boost to Coastal Shipping: Seamless integration with inland waterways and multimodal transport.
• Digitalization: Fully online port operations to cut red tape and reduce turnaround time.

Environmental & Safety Measures

• Waste Reception Facilities at all ports.
• Compliance with MARPOL (Marine Pollution) and Ballast Water Management conventions.
• Emergency Preparedness Plans for disasters and security threats.
• Promotion of renewable energy and shore power systems to cut emissions.