TN formalising maritime policy that will be in tandem with the Centre

Tamil Nadu Industries Minister TRB Rajaa and EV Velu, Minister for PWD, Highways and Minor port, along with senior State government officials and industry officials at the session on Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu is formalising a comprehensive maritime and shipbuilding policy, which will incentivise new shipyards, attract global players and enable equity partnerships between the State and private industry, TN Industries Minister TRB Rajaa, told newspersons on Wednesday on the sidelines of a session on Tamil Nadu at the India Maritime Week 2025.

This comes as the two public sector shipyards – Cochin Shipyards and Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders – are planning to invest around ₹30,000 crore in aggregate and create 55,000 jobs.

“Tamil Nadu is working on a maritime policy in tandem with the Government of India’s policy in the sector,” Rajaa said. There are several untouched and untapped minor ports that the State government wants to develop, he added. “In sectors like maritime, the industry needs government support in the form of viability gap funding. This will be dealt with in the policy. The country as a whole needs to buy more ships for itself. Initially that push has to come from the Centre,” he said.

Strong pitch

At the Tamil Nadu session of the India Maritime Week 2025 , various stakeholders made a strong pitch to make Tamil Nadu as the destination for next-gen maritime industries.

Sunil Paliwal, Chairperson, ChPA, said Tamil Nadu offers enormous potential in the maritime sector, and is a State of possibilities. The development happens with both the State and Central governments working in tandem, he said.

Meanwhile, the three major ports of Chennai, Kamarajar in Ennore and VOC in Thoothukudi signed a memorandum of understanding (MoUs) worth nearly ₹32,000 crore on Tuesday at the ongoing India Maritime Summit 2025 (IMW2025) in Mumbai.

The Chennai Port Authority (ChPA) signed MoUs worth around ₹8,000 crore; VOC port in Thoothukudi signed MoUs worth around 13,000 crore and Kamarajar Port Ltd signed MoUs worth ₹11,000 crore.

Among the list of prominent MoUs disclosed include ₹4,320 crore signed between the Chennai Port Authority (ChPA) and Hyundai Motor India Ltd for creating an additional area of 10,000 sq m to be allotted for stacking of export cars. The VOC port signed 17 MoUs, including one with JIN & LEE Co Ltd to operate a shipyard at the port zone or outside at a cost of ₹8,800 crore. KPL signed an MoU with the German windmill maker Nordex worth ₹7,000 crore for handling of windmill components.

On the ₹8,000 crore development of a new outer harbour at the Chennai port, the ChPA appointed Forvis Mazars as the consultant to prepare the feasibility report on the project. “It will take around two years to prepare the report,” Jaimin N Chainani, Consultant with Forvis Mazars, told businessline.

Published on October 29, 2025