The Union Minister of Ports, Shipping & Waterways and Ayush, Shri Sarbananda Sonowal, inaugurated major infrastructure projects in Chennai, Tamil Nadu on April 23, 2023. The projects, which are worth over ₹148 crore, aim to augment the capacity of Chennai and Kamarajar ports in the state. The inauguration of these projects is expected to give a significant boost to the maritime sector in the region and contribute to the overall growth of the economy.

One of the projects inaugurated by the Union Minister is a new warehouse facility at Chennai Port, which will provide additional storage space for cargo. The facility has a capacity of 50,000 metric tonnes and is expected to reduce congestion at the port. Another project inaugurated is a new facility for handling container cargo at Chennai Port, which will improve the efficiency of cargo operations.

At Kamarajar Port, the Union Minister inaugurated a new facility for handling automobiles, which has a capacity of 50,000 vehicles. This facility is expected to cater to the growing demand for automobile exports from the region. Additionally, the Union Minister also laid the foundation stone for a new container freight station at Kamarajar Port, which will provide additional storage space for cargo.

During his address, the Union Minister highlighted the ongoing discussion between India and Russia to open up the 'Chennai-Vladivostok Maritime Corridor' to bolster maritime trade between the two countries. The proposed corridor is expected to reduce the transportation time between the two countries by half, from 40 days to 20 days.

 These projects are expected to provide a significant boost to the maritime sector in the region and create new employment opportunities. They are in line with the government's vision of promoting the development of the maritime sector and improving the country's connectivity with other countries through ports.

The ongoing discussion between India and Russia to open up the 'Chennai-Vladivostok Maritime Corridor' is also a promising development, which is expected to further strengthen trade ties between the two countries.