Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Sarbananda Sonowal, speaking at the ‘Maritime Financing Summit 2025’ said that Indian ports have significantly improved average turnaround time for ships from 4 days to less than 1 day, outperforming many advanced nations.

The Union Minister said at the event that the container capacity at major ports has grown by over 70 per cent, and cargo volumes through coastal and inland waterways have multiplied. Mr. Sonowal further highlighted that policy initiatives such as the Merchant Shipping Bill and the Coastal Shipping Bill are being pursued to support Indian-flagged tonnage. Meanwhile, Parliament has passed the Bills of Lading Bill 2025, which aims to simplify the legal framework for shipping documents.