6.9. Recommendations of NTDPC

♤ Four to six mega ports should be created over the next 20 years, with two to three on each coast.

♤ There is an immediate need to make appropriate legislative and policy changes to move the major ports to the landlord port model and to transform the port trusts to statutory landlord port authorities. All the terminal operations of port trusts would need to be corporatized as public sector corporations,

♤ A new regulatory authority, Maritime Authority for Ports (MAP), should be constituted under a modernised Indian Ports Act, suitably empowered to regulate competition and port conservancy across all the major and non-major ports in the country.

♤ It is important that the Indian shipping industry be provided a level playing field for it to grow and compete globally with vessels under other flags. This will require rationalisation of restrictive policies, particularly related to imposition of a variety of direct/indirect taxes.

♤ Priority should be accorded to coastal ships by setting up coastal terminals at the major ports and identifying and developing five or six non-major ports on the east and west coasts as designated coastal ports.

♤ Adequate rail and road connectivity must be provided to these coastal terminals.

♤ Efforts should be made to develop deeper stretches of the rivers for IWT/navigational purposes (at least 2.5 m, preferably 3.0 m LAD (Least Available Depth) for round-the-year navigation).