Context: The Sittwe deep-sea port on the west coast of Myanmar, a key part of the $484 million Kaladan multimodal project on which India has been collaborating with Myanmar, is now ready for operations, according to shipping ministery.

Key Points

• The deep-sea port has been built by India as part of the Kaladan multimodal project to boost connectivity between the mainland and the landlocked state of Mizoram.
• Originally scheduled to be completed by 2014, the project aims to reduce the cost and time for the transportation of goods and essentials from mainland India to Mizoram. 
• Goods will be transported from Kolkata to Sittwe by sea and then up the Kaladan river by boat to Paletwa in the Chin state of Myanmar and from there to Mizoram by road.
• The shipping ministry had plans to develop deep-water ports off the east coast of India to cut reliance on foreign ports for India-bound cargo. There were also plans to make India a hub for transshipment.
• Our aim is that Indian cargo should be transhipped from Indian ports and it should happen on a large scale.
• Our aim is that by 2030 India’s maritime sector performance matches that of the global level. And we have prepared a roadmap for this and that has been welcomed by the world.