About National Technology Centre for Ports, Waterways and Coasts (NTCWPC):
- It is being set up under the Shipping Ministry’s flagship Sagarmala Programme.
- Location: It has been established in IIT – Discovery Campus at Chennai in Tamil Nadu at the cost of ₹77 crore.
- It works as the technology arm of the Ministry of Shipping and provides the needful technological support to ports, IWAI and other institutions.
- Mandate: To develop cutting-edge technologies and application products to provide solutions to various challenges faced by the Ports and Shipping Sector.
- It has world-class capabilities for undertaking 2D and 3D investigations of research and consultancy nature for the Port, Coastal, and Waterway sector across all disciplines.
What is Sagarmala Programme?
- It is the flagship programme of the Ministry of Shipping.
- Objective: To promote port-led development in the country through harnessing India’s 7,500 km long coastline, 14,500 km of potentially navigable waterways and strategic location on key international maritime trade routes.
- It holds a vision to reduce logistics costs for both domestic and EXIM cargo with optimal infrastructure investment.
- The projects under the scheme have been categorized into five pillars:
- Port modernization & new port development;
- Port connectivity enhancement;
- Port-led industrialization;
- Coastal community development;
- Coastal shipping and Inland water transport;
