New Delhi, July 7 -- Union minister of ports, shipping and waterways Sarbananda Sonowal on Monday announced government plans to invest Rs.5,000 crore to boost the waterways and maritime sector in the Northeast.

He said his ministry has drawn up major initiatives including expanding the capacity of the Maritime Skill Development Centre (MSDC) in Guwahati as well as setting up a Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Dibrugarh, towards the goal of developing the maritime sector in the region.

Speaking at press conference in Guwahati, the minister said India is on the path to becoming a global maritime powerhouse and the transformation that the sector has seen over the past 11 years of the Modi Government, with historic growth in port capacity and ...