Mumbai, Aug 12 (IANS) Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday sought Singapore’s cooperation in the development of the Vadhavan port in Palghar district of Maharashtra.

He also expressed confidence that the Vadhavan Port project in the state is the largest port project in India, and this project will be completed on time and will establish Maharashtra as well as India as a maritime superpower.

He also said that this project will give a new direction to India’s maritime infrastructure.

He also expressed his hope that there will be definite MoUs to expand the partnership between the two countries from JNPA to Vadhavan Port.

He said that increasing cooperation and many MoUs between India and Singapore in the fields of maritime trade, infrastructure, digitisation, data centres and logistics are strengthening the economic ties, and this will give a new dimension to the relations between Maharashtra and Singapore in particular.

He was speaking at the Green and Digital Maritime Corridors Leaders Dialogue organised jointly by the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority of the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways and the Indian Ports Association at the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority (JNPA).

Fadnavis said that the new PSA terminal at JNPA will be inaugurated soon, and this state-of-the-art facility will accommodate 50 per cent of JNPA’s container capacity and will boost India’s global trade.

He added that this facility will further enhance India’s maritime power. He expressed special gratitude to Singapore for its cooperation in completing this project.

Emphasising the cooperation between India and Singapore for establishing green and digital maritime corridors, the Chief Minister highlighted the need for a sustainable maritime ecosystem.

The two countries are working together on new technologies, green fuels and efficiency, and the East Sea Initiative, in addition to India’s advancement in digital infrastructure, will enhance the efficiency of maritime services.

Referring to India’s rich maritime history, CM Fadnavis cited the vision of the Chaul Empire and Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. Under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Amrit Kaal Maritime Vision 2047, Maharashtra is developing its own maritime vision, with clear goals set for 2029, 2035 and 2047. This will make Maharashtra a significant contributor to the transformation of India’s maritime sector.

Singapore’s Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yeung said that climate change is a serious global issue that requires collective efforts. Singapore and India are jointly preparing a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to develop a green and digital shipping corridor. This agreement will significantly contribute to promoting a strong and efficient maritime sector.

Earlier, the MoU was signed between the government of Maharashtra and Manipal Health Enterprises Pvt Ltd and Temasek. This collaboration aims to establish a 350-bed multi-speciality hospital in Nagpur, with a proposed investment of up to Rs 700 crore, expected to create approximately 3000 direct employment opportunities.

Another MoU was signed between the Government of Maharashtra and CapitaLand Investment Limited, Singapore. This collaboration aims to facilitate proposed investments by CapitaLand Investment and its affiliates in Maharashtra, with a total proposed investment of around Rs 19,200 crore expected to generate approximately 60,000 direct employment opportunities.

Moreover, an MoU was signed between the Government of Maharashtra and Mapletree Investments Pvt Ltd, Singapore.

It will involve an investment of Rs 3,000 crore and will provide 5,000 direct employment opportunities in Mumbai, Pune, Nagpur and other industrial areas. Under this agreement, logistics and warehousing parks, industrial parks and data centres will be created.

This partnership will drive the development of Business Parks in Mumbai & Pune, Data Centres in Mumbai & Pune and Logistics & Industrial Parks across Maharashtra

–IANS

sj/dan