New Delhi- In a significant push toward maritime sector development and youth employment, Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal has announced that 50,000 jobs will be created in India’s northeastern region over the next 10 years. Speaking at a press conference in Guwahati, the minister said the initiative is part of the ambitious “Maritime India Vision 2030”.
To ensure youth are prepared for this opportunity, skill training programs are already underway through the Northeast Maritime Skill Development Centre. Additionally, a state-of-the-art maritime training institute is being developed in Dibrugarh, which will serve as a center of excellence for the region.
“Our target is to place India among the top 10 shipbuilding nations by 2030 and elevate it into the top five countries in the world by 2047,” Sonowal declared. “This maritime roadmap will open employment avenues, particularly benefiting underprivileged and backward communities,” he added. The move has already attracted growing interest from major global shipping companies keen to invest in India.
In another key announcement, Sonowal revealed that the government plans to build four lighthouses along the Brahmaputra River—in Guwahati, Dibrugarh, Silghat, and Biswanath. These lighthouses will not only guide inland water transport but also function as tourist attractions with weather-forecasting capabilities. The initiative is being coordinated with the Ministry of Earth Sciences.
This integrated vision, combining employment, infrastructure, and investment, represents a vital step toward India’s maritime resurgence and the larger national vision of becoming a global powerhouse by its centenary of independence in 2047.
