Lok Sabha Question No. 2611 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-12-16
Subject: Export Infrastructure in Coastal Areas
Ministry: COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY
Asked by: Smt. Manju Sharma

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMERCE & INDUSTRY DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2611 ANSWERED ON 16/12/2025

## EXPORT INFRASTRUCTURE IN COASTAL AREAS

## 2611.  SMT. MANJU SHARMA

Will  the  Minister  of COMMERCE  &  INDUSTRY ( वाणिज्य  एवं  उद्योग  मंत्री) be pleased to state:

- (a) whether  the  Government  has  taken  any  measures  to  promote  export infrastructure in coastal areas in the country, if so, the details thereof;
- (b) whether the procedural aspects related to export goods are in line with best global practices and the details regarding time taken in this regard globally, if so, the details thereof; and
- (c) the  plans  to  reduce  the  time  taken  in  relation  to  the  procedural  aspects  of exports?

## ANSWER

## वाणिज्य एवं उद्योग मंत्रालय में राज्यमंत्री (श्री णिणिन प्रसाद) THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY

## (SHRI JITIN PRASADA)

(a)  to  (c):   The  Government  of  India  has  various  schemes  to boost  infrastructure across the country including the coastal areas. Further, many measures have been taken by the Government to improve the procedural aspects of exports.  Some of the initiatives under the schemes and the measures are mentioned below:

- (i) This  Ministry  is  implementing  a  scheme  namely  'Trade  Infrastructure  for Export  Scheme  (TIES)',  a  Central  Sector  Scheme,  w.e.f.  F.Y.  2017-18,  with  the objective  of  assisting  Central  and  State  Government  agencies  in  the  creation  of appropriate  infrastructure  for  growth  of  exports.  Under  the  scheme,  financial assistance in the form of grant-in-aid is provided to Central/State Government owned agencies for setting up or up-grading export infrastructure. The Scheme has been extended for the period of 2021-22 to 2025-26 with a total outlay of Rs. 360 crore. Under  the  scheme,  in  the  coastal  states  of  the  country,  39  projects  have  been approved.
- (ii)         Ministry  of  Ports,  Shipping  and Waterways,  under the flagship  Sagarmala Scheme, provides financial assistance to UT/State Governments for port infrastructure projects, coastal berth projects, road & rail projects, fishing harbours, skill  development  projects,  coastal  community  development,  cruise  terminal  and projects such as Ro-Pax ferry services.

(iii) Development of ports, being a critical part of export infrastructure, includes construction of new berths and terminals, mechanization/modernisation of existing berths,  expansion  of  road  and  rail  connectivity,  enhancement  of  Public-Private Partnership in port development to enhance capacity and operational efficiency. As a result of these initiatives, the total cargo handling capacity of Indian ports increased from 1561 million tonnes per annum in FY 2014-15 to 2771 million tonnes per annum in FY 2024-25.

(iv) Two Indian ports, i.e., Jawaharlal Nehru Port (23rd Rank) and Mundra Port (25th Rank) featured in top 30 list of global ports in Container Port Performance Index (CPPI), 2024 published by the World Bank. Additionally, 5 Indian Ports featured in top 100 global port list. World Bank's Logistics Performance Index (LPI) Report 2023 specifies Indian ports achieved a Turn Around Time (TAT) of 0.9 days, which is better than several maritime nations.

(v)       Indian Railways has taken up several capacity-augmentation works in coastal regions such as new line construction, doubling and multi-tracking of existing routes, construction of flyovers and bypass lines, development of Goods Sheds and Gati Shakti  Cargo  Terminals  (GCTs),  port-connectivity  projects,  construction  of  the Dedicated  Freight  Corridor  etc.  These  initiatives  aim  to  strengthen,  inter-alia, connectivity to ports, enhance evacuation capacity and facilitate faster movement of export-oriented traffic.

(vi)       Coastal airports with cargo facility in India are - Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Kochi,  Thiruvananthapuram,  Kozhikhode,  Bhubaneshwar,  Port  Blair,  Surat,  Goa, Vishakhapatnam, Kannur, Goa (Mopa), Mangaluru, Vijayawada, Jamnagar, Shirdi, Rajahmundry, Tuticorin, and Bhavnagar.

(vii)         Inland Container Depots (ICDs) and Container Freight Station (CFSs) for import and export of goods are set up in terms of guidelines contained in Circular No. 50/2020-Customs dated 05.11.2020. Customs procedures in relation to import and export of goods like filing of documents, assessment of duty, clearance are done in electronic  mode.  As  per  National  Time  Release  Study  2025,  the  time  taken  for clearance of export goods is as under:

| Point of Clearance   | Time Taken by Customs for clearance (in Hrs)   | Total Time taken for clearance including post Let Export Order Logistics (in Hrs)   |
|----------------------|------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| 29:36                | 187:27                                         | Seaports                                                                            |
| 30:39                | 130:30                                         | Inland Container Depots (ICDs)                                                      |
| 3:58                 | 31:38                                          | Air Cargo Complexes (ACC)                                                           |

(viii)      The  Directorate  General  of  Foreign  Trade  (DGFT)'s  policy  documents, including the Foreign Trade Policy (FTP) 2023 and Handbook of Procedures (HBP) 2023, are formulated in line with the best global practices. Significant reforms have been  undertaken  to  promote  digital-first  governance  and  simplify  compliance  for exporters,  with  the  objective  of  comprehensive  digitization.  An  end-to-end  digital approval system has been implemented for key export-related authorizations and certificates, including the Importer Exporter Code (IEC), Advance Authorisation/Duty Free  Import  Authorisation  (DFIA)/  Export  Promotion  Capital  Goods  (EPCG)/ Remission  of  Duties  and  Taxes  on  Exported  Products  (RoDTEP)  Schemes, electronic Bank Realisation Certificates, and Certificates of Origin (CoO). The Trade Connect e-platform now integrates exporters with Export Promotion Councils, Indian Missions, and the DGFT, offering a unified system for issuance of Registration Cum Membership Certificate and CoO, along with a single-window interface for exporters. The  FTP,  along  with  HBP,  prescribes  timelines  for  each  process  to  ensure predictable policy. Based on feedback from trade and industry, the Government has been taking several measures aimed at simplifying processes, reducing transaction costs,  and  promoting automation to benefit exporters  by  amending  the  FTP/HBP from time to time.

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