News Bulletin: September 2025 – Edition 1
India Unveils $1 Trillion Maritime Investment Roadmap to Transform Ports, Shipbuilding & Logistics
Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal revealed a bold $1 trillion maritime investment roadmap during the curtain‑raiser of India Maritime Week 2025. The plan targets sweeping improvements across ports, logistics, and shipbuilding, with a focus on multimodal terminals, maritime services, ship repair, ship recycling, sustainable shipping solutions, and green hydrogen hubs. Highlighted at a roundtable with global envoys, the initiative underscores India’s ambition to become a resilient, future-ready maritime hub through domestic and international collaborations.
Source: ET Infra
Konkan Railway Launches Ro-Ro Car Train Service Between Maharashtra and Goa
Konkan Railway has introduced a novel Roll-on/Roll-off (Ro-Ro) train service for private cars, operating between Kolad (Maharashtra) and Verna (Goa), beginning on August 23, 2025, just ahead of Ganeshotsav. The inaugural journey carried five cars and 19 passengers, with vehicles securely transported on flatbed wagons and passengers traveling in air-conditioned and second-class coaches. This service aims to provide a safer, smoother, and more eco-friendly travel experience, alleviating road congestion during peak holiday travel periods.
Source: Maritime Gateway
The world will drive EVs that say, Made In India! : PM Modi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the rollout of Maruti Suzuki’s first Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV), the e‑Vitara, at the Hansalpur plant in Gujarat. Marking a leap in India’s EV ambitions, the locally produced e‑Vitara will be exported to over 100 countries, reflecting the success of the “Make in India, Make for the World” vision. Concurrently, Modi launched production of hybrid battery electrodes at the TDSG lithium-ion plant, significantly boosting domestic battery manufacturing and accelerating India’s clean mobility infrastructure.
Source: India Shipping News
Foreign Shipping Lines Get GST Exemption Worth ₹3,000 Crore on Imported Services
The Directorate General of GST Intelligence (DGGI) has withdrawn approximately ₹3,000 crore in GST demands for FY 2017–18 from 18 foreign shipping companies, following their assurance that no taxable services were imported during that period. This move offers relief to entities like Maersk, Hapag-Lloyd, and others, after disputes over GST applicability on related-party imported services like vessel leases and crew costs. However, GST liabilities for subsequent years remain under review by tax authorities.
Source: Maritime Gateway
Mumbai to Demolish 125-Year-Old Elphinstone Bridge from September 10 to Make Way for Elevated Corridor
Mumbai’s iconic Elphinstone Road Overbridge (ROB), a 125‑year-old British-era structure connecting Parel and Prabhadevi, is slated for demolition beginning the night of September 10, once the Ganeshotsav festivities conclude. The Mumbai traffic police have approved the bridge’s closure, which paves the way for constructing a modern double-decker elevated corridor as part of the Sewri–Worli elevated road project, linking directly to the Mumbai Trans Harbour Link (Atal Setu) for seamless, signal-free travel. The demolition plan faced delays due to resident opposition over the relocation of affected households, with MMRDA reducing the impact from 19 to just two buildings and committing to onsite redevelopment. Expect traffic to be rerouted via Tilak Bridge and Currey Road Bridge, increasing congestion during peak hours.
Source: ET Infra