Under the PM Gati Shakti initiative, 101 projects under ports and shipping development have been identified for implementation valued at Rs 60,872 crore.

Of these, 13 projects worth Rs 4,423 crore have reached completion.

The Union Minister for Ports, Shipping, and Waterways, Sarbananda Sonowal, provided this information in a written reply to Rajya Sabha on 14 March 2023, reports ET.

From the list of the identified projects, Gujarat tops the list with 19 projects at an estimated cost of Rs 20,399.15 crore.

It is followed by Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh with 13 projects each, with an expenditure of Rs 9,955.85 crore and Rs 5,871.05 crore, respectively.

Further, the Ministry of Finance — Department of expenditure plans to promote infrastructure development by allocating funds to states.

Additional provisions of Rs 5,000 crore are made available through part-II of the "Scheme for Special Assistance to States for Capital Investment for 2022-23" as long-term loans, related to PM Gati Shakti expenditure.

These funds are expected to benefit the states since they are interest-free.

In addition, the Ministry of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways has also implemented measures to enhance related business operations.

These include the issuance of new tariff guidelines, flexible regulations for concessioners, and model concession agreements to improve port performance.

The PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan (NMP) aims to enhance multimodal connectivity, logistics efficiency, and address critical infrastructure gaps.

The NMP aims to develop multi-modal connectivity for economic zones, ports and shipping.

It encourages integrated and holistic planning across various ministries and departments to ensure seamless movement of goods and people while minimising disruptions and ensuring timely project completion.