Kakinada: Kakinada Lok Sabha member T. Uday Srinivas of the Jana Sena Party has urged the central government to channel investments into Kakinada, making it a centrepiece of India’s shipbuilding and maritime economy.He maintained that because of its strategic location, with its deep-water port and industrial infrastructure, Kakinada is uniquely positioned to become a shipbuilding and maritime hub.The MP supported the Coastal Shipping Bill, 2024, calling it a transformative step for India’s Maritime sector. He said this bill will help unlock the sector’s full potential by reducing logistics costs and promoting self-reliance in shipping.He said that despite India’s 7,500 Km coastline and access to global trade routes, coastal shipping accounts for just seven per cent of total freight movement.Welcoming the Coastal Shipping Bill, Uday Srinivas said expansion of coasting trade to include offshore exploration and research, a move that would bring nearly 50 per cent of the Indian-flagged vessels under a structured regulation. It will attract investments, enhance operational safety and boost employment in the maritime sector.The MP said the bill removes licensing barriers for Indian-owned vessels, encouraging more ships to register under the Indian flag, thereby reducing reliance on foreign vessels.He stressed on the need for investment in maritime infrastructure, particularly capital dredging, which has seen no major projects in the last five years. Without deep, well-maintained waterways, integration of inland shipping with coastal routes cannot be fully realised, Uday Srinivas underlined.
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