Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways

What Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways does

The Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW) is the Government of India ministry responsible for formulating and implementing policies, programs, and guidelines for the ports, shipping, and inland waterways sectors. Established post-independence as the Ministry of Shipping and renamed to its current form in 2019 to reflect an expanded mandate, the ministry exercises direct administrative control over 13 Major Port Authorities (including Kolkata, Mumbai, Chennai, Paradip, Visakhapatnam, Cochin, New Mangalore, Mormugao, Jawaharlal Nehru, and Deendayal), statutory autonomous bodies such as the Inland Waterways Authority of India, the Tariff Authority for Major Ports, and the Indian Maritime University, and central public sector enterprises including the Shipping Corporation of India, Cochin Shipyard Limited, the Sagarmala Development Company, and the Indian Port Global Limited. The ministry is headquartered at Transport Bhawan, 1 Parliament Street, New Delhi, with operations support presence in Mumbai and Port Blair.

The ministry's product and technology surface consists of digital governance portals rather than commercial technology products. These include Sagar Setu (maritime services portal at nlpmarine.gov.in), Sagargyan & Vidya Kosh (knowledge portal at mopsw.nic.in), SBFAS and SbDS shipbuilding portals (shipbuilding.dgshipping.gov.in), the Adjudicatory Board for Major Ports portal, and the Sagar Unnati Performance Dashboard for monitoring major port operational metrics. Strategic policy outputs include Maritime India Vision 2030 (launched 2020) and Maritime Amrit Kaal Vision 2047 (launched 2024), plus the flagship Sagarmala program for port-led coastal development, integrated with the Gati Shakti national multimodal connectivity master plan. Other published instruments include the Sagar Aankalan Guidelines (Logistics Port Performance Index), IIF and MIF Guidelines under the Maritime Development Fund (MDF), and Draft National Water Metro Guidelines 2026.

MoPSW does not operate a commercial revenue model. It is funded entirely through Government of India budget allocations and implements its mandate through statutory port trusts, autonomous bodies, and public sector enterprises. Customers and stakeholders of the ministry's outputs include the major and minor ports sector, domestic and international shipping operators, shipbuilding and ship-repair yards (including Cochin Shipyard Limited), inland water transport operators under the national waterways framework, and seafarers served through the Seafarers Welfare Fund Society. Current ministerial leadership comprises Cabinet Minister Shri Sarbananda Sonowal and Minister of State Shri Shantanu Thakur, with Shri Vijay Kumar serving as Secretary.

Name

Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways

Legal name

Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Government of India

Website

https://shipmin.gov.in

Company type

Private

Founded year

1942

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

The Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways is a Government of India ministry that formulates and implements policy across the ports, shipping, and inland waterways sectors. It oversees 13 major ports, multiple PSUs, and statutory autonomous bodies, and operates digital governance portals for India's maritime infrastructure.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Maritime Governance

NAICS

Support Activities for Water Transportation (4883), Water Transportation (483), Navigational Services to Shipping (488330)

SIC

Water Transportation (4400), Arrangement Of Transportation Of Freight & Cargo (4731)

akta.pro primary industry

Transportation Regulators (Aviation, Maritime, Rail, Road) (BPAIAOAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Maritime & Port Authorities (Public Ports, Harbors, Ferries Terminals) (BPAIALAF), Port Dues, Permitting & Regulatory Clearances (TLAHAFAD), Port Call Clearance & Documentation (Arrival/Departure, Customs/Immigration/Health) (TLAHAJAA), Publicly Operated Ferry Authorities (Municipal/Regional) (TLAFALAK)

Keywords

• Maritime governance
• Port administration
• Shipping regulation
• Inland waterways
• Maritime policy

Headquarters

HQ city

New Delhi

HQ country

India

HQ region

Asia

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Others

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways is a Government of India ministry that formulates and implements policies, programs, and regulations for the maritime transport sector. It exercises administrative control over 13 major ports, regulates shipping and shipbuilding, develops national waterways and inland water transport, and delivers supporting services through digital portals such as Sagar Setu, Sagargyan & Vidya Kosh, and the Sagar Unnati performance dashboard.

Product overview

Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways is a government ministry (not a product company) that operates a portfolio of web-based portals, dashboards, and policy documents for India's maritime sector. The digital portfolio includes: Sagar Setu (maritime services portal), Sagargyan & Vidya Kosh (knowledge/learning portal), SBFAS & SbDS Portals (shipbuilding services), the Adjudicatory Board portal, and the Sagar Unnati Performance Dashboard for monitoring port operations. The ministry also publishes strategic policy documents including Maritime India Vision 2030 and Maritime Amrit Kaal Vision 2047, plus guidelines such as Sagar Aankalan (port performance index) and National Water Metro Guidelines 2026. These offerings function as a distributed ecosystem of government service portals and policy frameworks rather than a unified commercial product.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Sagarmala: A flagship program of the Ministry aimed at port-led coastal development and improving India's logistics infrastructure
• Sagar Unnati
• MSW-Sagar Setu
• Maritime India Vision 2030
• Maritime Amrit Kaal Vision 2047

Products and services

• Sagarmala Program
• Maritime India Vision 2030
• Maritime Amrit Kaal Vision 2047
• Sagar Setu Portal
• Sagargyan and Vidya Kosh Portal
• SBFAS and SbDS Shipbuilding Portals
• Adjudicatory Board for Major Ports
• Sagar Unnati Performance Dashboard
• National Water Metro Guidelines 2026

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Gati ShakticoreOthersNational master plan for multimodal connectivity integrated with the ministry's Sagarmala program for comprehensive infrastructure development
• Khelo IndiaminorOthersNational program for sports development featured on ministry website as part of government initiatives
• National Informatics Centre (NIC)coreTechnology or IntegrationWebsite development, hosting, and technical support provided by NIC for the ministry's digital infrastructure
• Bharat InnovatesminorOthersInnovation initiative featured on ministry portal
• India Maritime Week 2026coreGTM or Marketing PartnerMajor maritime industry event bringing together ports, shipping and maritime stakeholders for business development and networking

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• DP World: One of the world's largest port operators (Dubai-government owned). Comparable as a global incumbent in the same port/maritime ecosystem MoPSW regulates, and a likely counterparty in Indian port PPP concessions.
• China Ministry of Transport (Maritime Bureau): China's national transport ministry with a maritime sub-bureau responsible for ports, shipping, and waterway policy. Comparable to MoPSW given the scale and state-led maritime development model, though broader in scope (covers road, rail, civil aviation).
• Japan Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) Maritime Bureau: Japanese ministry with maritime and ports portfolio alongside broader transport responsibilities. Comparable as a peer national maritime regulator with a developed-country port and shipping ecosystem.

Direct peers

• Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA): Singapore's national maritime regulator and port authority — the most direct international functional equivalent to MoPSW, overseeing port licensing, vessel clearance, navigational safety, and maritime policy formulation for a leading global hub.
• European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA): EU agency for maritime safety, vessel traffic monitoring, and port state control. Comparable in its regulatory and navigational oversight role to MoPSW's Directorate General of Shipping and Directorate General of Lighthouses and Lightships.
• Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA): Australian federal agency responsible for maritime safety, navigation, and vessel regulation. Comparable to MoPSW's DGS and DGLL functions in a comparable Commonwealth governance context.
• U.S. Maritime Administration (MARAD): U.S. federal agency within the Department of Transportation responsible for U.S. maritime policy, port infrastructure, and shipping fleet support — directly comparable in mandate (ports, shipping, waterway promotion) to MoPSW.

Others

• International Maritime Organization (IMO): UN specialized agency setting global maritime safety, security, and environmental standards. Comparable as the apex international regulatory counterpart MoPSW coordinates with for Indian-flag vessel compliance and seafarer training.

Emerging players

• PSA International (Port of Singapore Authority): Singapore sovereign-linked global port operator with terminal joint ventures in India (e.g., JNPA PSA). Comparable as a port-operating peer engaging with MoPSW's port trust PPP framework.

Regional players

• Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone (APSEZ): India's largest private multi-port operator and dominant competitor to MoPSW-administered major ports. Directly comparable as the principal private-sector counterpart within the Indian maritime value chain MoPSW oversees.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/shipmin_india
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC9LcWUqwZcdmlyUA8edE-OQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/ShipminIndia
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ministry-of-ports-shipping-and-waterways-india

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Subsidiaries26 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways