Ports Are Gateways to India's Prosperity: PM

"Unless we manufacturers in export promotion, and unless the states and centre work together, we cannot achieve new heights in exports. Let the states identify their core strengths for export and let there be competition among states for exports," Modi urged.

Discussing ways and means to create an easy environment for maritime businesses and youth, Modi pointed out that the central government recently scrapped the requirement of annual renewal for shipping licenses and has now made for lifetime the license validity.

For this, he lauded the efforts of Union Shipping Minister Nitin Gadkari, who was also present at the event.

Citing the example of South Korea, he said that shipping is a big global opportunity and India also try to take advantage of it.

He said South Korea makes nearly 40 percent of all the world's ships and said India should emulate its example as it can help us in development and generating large employment opportunities, for which the government would encourage foreign investments.

Present at the function - in which Modi gave away certificates to project affected persons of JNPT - were Maharashtra Governor K. Sankaranarayanan, Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan and other dignitaries.

The JNPT SEZ industrial infrastructure is coming up over 277 hectares of land near the port as a self-sustainable integrated development project with a potential to generate around 150,000 jobs.

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