Port land may be used for 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat' projects

The government proposes to use vast stretches of land with Indian ports to set up manufacturing facilities under the 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat' mission.

Sources said that the ministry of shipping is evaluating surplus land with about a dozen major ports in India to evaluate whether it can be used for developing industrial clusters in areas where the country needs to build self-reliance.

Major ports have over 1 lakh hectares of land, vast stretches of which can be used for development of industrial clusters. Across the world, land near ports is used for building industrial infrastructure that meet both domestic needs and export requirements.

"This is a model that has been highly successful in the West. Port-led development model should not only help India build capacities for self reliance but also service a vast export market," said an analyst who did not wish to be named.

As part of the initiative, the ministry of new and renewable energy sources is already in talks with the shipping ministry to explore green energy manufacturing facilities on port land to reduce dependence on Chinese imports. More such projects involving steel, power projects may also be considered.