India’s Department of Fisheries (DoF) has signed a Technical Cooperation Programme (TCP) agreement with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) to build “Blue Ports”-smart and integrated fishing harbours - focusing first on pilot sites at Vanakbara (Diu), Jakhau (Gujarat), and Karaikal (Puducherry). Three harbours are being upgraded with a total investment of ₹369.8 crores under schemes like PMMSY and FIDF. The initiative emphasises deploying 5G, AI, IoT, sensor networks, digital platforms, and eco-friendly infrastructure (rainwater harvesting, low-energy systems, waste management). The first webinar in this capacity-building series introduced global best practices (e.g. Spain’s Port of Vigo) and began stakeholder dialogues on climate resilience, traceability, and private-public collaboration.
Blue Ports transform India’s fisheries infrastructure from legacy post-harvest systems into innovation-enabled value chain nodes. This approach can boost export competitiveness, strengthen coastal livelihoods, and improve resilience in the face of climate and ecological stressors.
Relevant Question for Policy Stakeholders: How can India ensure interoperability, data governance, financing, and long-term operational sustainability in Blue Ports-especially across states-so that technology upgrades deliver equitable gains rather than deepen regional disparities?
Follow the full news here: PIB Release – India & FAO Join Hands to Build World-Class Blue Ports