Visakhapatnam: Highlighting the role of maritime infrastructure in India’s economic growth, Visakhapatnam MP M. Sribharat on Tuesday extended his support to the Indian Ports Bill, 2025, during a discussion in Parliament.

Speaking in the Lok Sabha, the MP termed the bill as a much-needed step towards streamlining port development, improving ease of doing business, ensuring effective dispute resolution and creating a unified framework for port identification and regulation across the country.

Representing a coastal state with over 1,000-km of shoreline, the MP noted the significant progress Andhra Pradesh made in the port sector in the past decade. “The turnaround time for ships at major ports has halved and India’s international shipment ranking has risen sharply,” he mentioned. Attributing credit to Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu’s maritime vision and plan to establish a themed port every 50-km along the coast, the MP emphasised it would be a major driver of regional growth.

About the recently-concluded conclave in Visakhapatnam, attended by Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal and representatives from seven Bay of Bengal nations, the MP described it as a testament to the state’s growing prominence in international maritime cooperation. “Andhra Pradesh is already emerging as a leader in cruise tourism, with successful cruise operations and more in the pipeline,” he highlighted. On Tuesday, the Lok Sabha passed the Indian Ports Bill, 2025 by voice vote amid protests by the Opposition. The bill proposes modernising the port governance in the country, boosting maritime trade and India’s stand as a global maritime leader.