Chennai: A 100-acre land owned by the Kamrajar Port Limited (formerly Ennore Port) has been identified for promoting the maritime cluster near here and this is expected to give a fillip to the development of ship building and ancillary services, maritime services, promoting maritime tourism besides exporting marine products.
This site, which is about 5 km from the L & T Shipyard at Kattupalli Port will be the focal point for economic development along India’s coastline, and would spur the exports.
According to a draft report prepared under Sagarmala Programme of the Union shipping ministry given the manufacturing strength, size of the ports with high traffic and synergies with other steel ancillaries, the locations for maritime clusters can provide positive synergistic effect by attracting business for the maritime industry and improving the economics for the cluster participants.
Apart from TN, Gujarat is the only state that has been identified for developing the maritime cluster.
TN maritime cluster will utilise the existing shipyards to promote ancillary support and services in Ennore with retail and leisure components while the existing fish landing centres would be made commercially viable.
India is the fourth largest fish producer through marine-inland capture and third largest through aquaculture. The top two states for fish landings in India are Gujarat and Tamil Nadu.
Placing India as an ideal destination for developing marine tourism, the report also suggests developing aquariums, water parks, marine museums, cruise tourism and water sports.
