Sonowal Inaugurates Sittwe Port in Myanmar

Developed under Kaladan Multimodal Transit Transport Project, the port will unlock huge commercial potential for Bangladesh, Bhutan, & Nepal, apart from India & Myanmar

Union Minister of Ports, Shipping & Waterways and Ayush, Shri Sarbananda Sonowal inaugurated Sittwe Port in Myanmar receiving the First Indian Cargo Ship docking at the Port on May 9, 2023.

The inauguration of Sittwe Port in Myanmar marks the beginning of a new transformation of transportation in Northeast with a  regular transit of cargo ships between Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port in Kolkata, India, to Sittwe Port in Rakhine state of Myanmar, heralding a new age of transportation between the two countries.

The route is likely to unlock tremendous economic potential for the entire Bay of Bengal peninsula, allowing a bridge between South Asia and South East Asia regions.

Northeast India is now on an International Sea Route through Tripura and Mizoram onto Sittwe port. The route will help reduce the cost and time of transportation of Goods between Kolkata and Agartala and Aizwal by more than 50 percent.

Apart from Northeast India, this port will also unlock huge commercial potential for Bangladesh, Bhutan and even Nepal – apart from India and Myanmar

Speaking on the occasion Shri Sonowal said, “As we stand on this historic threshold, when the landlocked Northeast India will finally have a much shorter access to the International Sea Route, it would not have been possible without the visionary proposition of ‘Act East’ by Narendra Modi ji. This is the true reflection of implementation of ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas’ philosophy of Modi ji.”

Sittwe Port has been developed under a framework agreement between India and Myanmar for the construction and operation of a Multimodal Transit Transport Facility on Kaladan river connecting the Sittwe port in Myanmar with the state of Mizoram in India.

Alternately the Sittwe port connects to Paletwa in Myanmar through an inland waterway and from Paletwa to Zorinpui in Mizoram through a road component. Sittwe port and Kaladan Project will immensely benefit Tripura by way of significant reduction in transportation time and logistics cost, for Sabroom in Tripura has an Integrated customs border between Bangladesh and Tripura.  Moreover Goods from Kolkata to Sittwe Port can be shipped to Teknaf Port, Bangladesh which is just 60 nautical miles from Sittwe. From Teknaf Port goods can be transported by road to Sabroom which is 300 kms away. Major cargo for export for Sittwe Port includes Rice, Timber, Fish & seafood, Petroleum Products and Garments & textile products, whereas the major cargo for import for Sittwe Port includes construction materials such as cement, steel and bricks among others.

-Marex Media