Kerala’s first maritime cluster to come up in Cherthala

TRIVANDRUM: Kerala’s Industries Minister P. Rajeeve, has said the state will soon get its first maritime cluster in Cherthala, a coastal town in Alappuzha district.

The government is considering seting up a testing lab for allied equipment with the cooperation of private players.

The administration has located a 15-acre plot for the cluster, which will function as a business ecosystem boosting shipping businesses.

To be groomed with the necessary infrastructure and other facilities, the cluster will particularly benefit micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) in the maritime sector.

It is part of major projects lined up for the next five years by the federally-owned Cochin Shipyard, which builds various vessels, from passenger boats to aircrat carriers.

The minister’s announcement follows the government’s inclusion of maritime ventures among the 22 priority sectors in the state’s 2023 Industrial Policy.

The minister interacted with various stakeholders, who briefed him about the lack of a system in Kerala to test maritime machinery. They promised a partnership to set up such a lab.

The minister, in response, assured the industry of government support for the testing facility.

A high-powered panel led by the Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation (KSIDC) will visit Bengaluru and Visakhapatnam soon to conduct studies before its establishment.

The industries department will also talk with the state’s Shipyard and Maritime University.

The government will start short-term courses to develop skills among engineers and financiers to make their use in the maritime sector.

The Additional Skills Acquisition Programme will discuss the finer points, while talks will also be held with the KSIDC’S Scaleup project to mobilise funds.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently inaugurated projects worth Rs 40 billion in Kochi, promising to make the Kerala port city a major maritime hub.

India aims to transform its ports, shipping and waterways to build capacity and selfsufficiency.

“When India has emerged as a major centre of global trade, we are focusing on increasing the country’s maritime strength,” he said.

“We’re actively fortifying our maritime capabilities. We are making efforts to increase port capacity, build and strengthen port infrastructure, and increase connectivity.”

Earlier, ships used to queue up in ports for days on end to offload cargo, but now India has surpassed many developed nations in the ship turnaround time.