Thiruvananthapuram: The state govt must use the Rs 400-crore Mission Samudra initiative to transform its ports, waterways, transport networks and human resources into a unified engine of jobs, enterprise and exports, said chief minister V D Satheesan.In a message a day ahead of International Maritime Day 2026, Satheesan said that Mission Samudra, announced in the 2026-27 state budget, should not be viewed merely as a port development programme but as a long-term strategy to drive the state’s overall economic growth through the ‘possibilities of the sea’.He said Vizhinjam International Seaport, Kochi port and other harbours must be integrated with inland waterways, airports, roads, railways and logistics centres to connect the state’s villages with global markets. “Coastal Keralam and inland Keralam are not separate; together they form one economic Keralam,” he said.Satheesan said the modern maritime economy extended far beyond shipping and ports, covering logistics, fisheries, coastal tourism, shipbuilding, marine technology, insurance, maritime law, arbitration, ocean research, renewable energy, education and skill development.He called for the activation of ports and associated facilities for diverse functions, including coastal cargo movement, inland water transport, passenger connectivity, tourism, freight movement, dry ports, warehouses and cold-chain systems.The chief minister said the fisherfolk and coastal communities must be treated as central participants and not as bystanders in the blue economy.New opportunities should be created in modern fishing infrastructure, fish processing, cold chains, value-added products, training, entrepreneurship and marine tourism, Satheesan added.“Traditional wisdom of communities that have lived with the sea for generations must join hands with modern technology,” Satheesan said, adding that the first benefits of wealth generated from the sea should reach families dependent on the sector.He also proposed the development of maritime tourism by linking beaches, fishing villages, backwaters, islands, lighthouses, old ports, shipbuilding heritage, cuisine, art and culture. Cruise, lighthouse, heritage, water-based and port tourism could generate jobs and support small businesses, he said, while warning that environmental and cultural protection must remain integral to tourism development.Satheesan said the state’s agricultural and industrial products like spices, coconut, rubber, coir and food products should be processed, packaged and marketed globally instead of being exported as raw materials.Village-level, eco-friendly small and medium enterprises would be crucial to ensuring that the success of ports was reflected in increased production and exports from Kerala, he said.“A port’s real success must also be judged by whether those containers carry products made in the villages of Kerala.”He called for greater employment and entrepreneurship opportunities for young people in port management, shipping, logistics, EXIM trade, customs, maritime law, marine insurance, ocean science, artificial intelligence, digital supply chains, tourism and fisheries technology.“The state should also aspire to become a maritime knowledge hub by establishing institutions for marine science, maritime education, research, arbitration and legal services, besides an international-standard maritime heritage museum and oceanarium.”Satheesan urged the diaspora to contribute not only capital but also technology, market linkages, expertise and global experience to Mission Samudra.He said the project required cooperation among govt, industry, academia, workers, fisherfolk, youth and the diaspora.“The sea is not our boundary. It is Keralam’s new gateway. Through that gateway, let us move forward together—towards jobs, enterprise, knowledge, investment, and sustainable prosperity.”
