Chennai - The Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW), Sarbananda Sonowal rolled out port infrastructure and digital governance projects worth ₹235 Crs at Chennai Port Authority and Kamarajar Port Limited, marking a major step to strengthen Tamil Nadu’s maritime capacity & advance India’s maritime-led growth agenda.

Addressing the “Viksit Bharat, Viksit Ports” programme in Chennai, Sarbananda Sonowal said the projects underscore the Centre’s commitment to building globally competitive, climate-resilient and digitally enabled ports, while improving ease of doing business (EODB) and coastal safety.

Of the total outlay, ₹129.36 crore covers projects at Chennai Port Authority and ₹105.64 crore supports initiatives at Kamarajar Port Limited.

For Chennai Port Authority, the Union Minister laid foundation stones for three projects focused on resilience, safety and public service delivery. The projects include repair and strengthening of the coastal revetment behind the Coastal Berth over about 850 metres using climate-resilient designs at a cost of ₹33.28 Crores. The Minister also laid foundation stone for construction of a new firefighting pump house at the Oil Dock Area to meet OISD safety norms with an investment of ₹43 Crores. This will establish a dedicated high-capacity firefighting infrastructure fully compliant with safety norms for protection of critical energy-security assets. Another foundation stone was laid for modernisation of Chennai Port Hospital with an investment of ₹8.08 Crores aimed at upgrading wards, operation theatres, diagnostics and support services while ensuring uninterrupted medical care.

Sonowal also inaugurated the Enterprise Business System (EBS), a SAP-based integrated digital platform that brings finance, port operations, human resources, assets, procurement and customer services onto a single backbone. The system, developed at a cost of ₹45 Crore, is expected to enhance transparency, compliance and operational efficiency, significantly improving ease of doing business.

For Kamarajar Port Limited, the minister laid the foundation stone for a new boundary wall at the north-west boundary connecting the Northern Port Access Road (NPAR) at a cost of ₹1.39 Crores, improving access control and logistics efficiency. The Union Minister also inaugurated the rehabilitated Northern Breakwater Head at an investment of ₹105 crores, strengthened after cyclone damage to ensure navigational safety and uninterrupted port operations, reinforcing the port’s role in India’s eastern maritime corridor. The rehabilitation covers 202 m with 3035 new 25MT tetrapods. This area was earlier damaged during cyclones Thane and Nilam.