Overview
- Former Vice-President M. Venkaiah Naidu and Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal inaugurated the two-day festival organized by the DGLL under the Ministry of Ports, Shipping & Waterways at MGM Park.
- The opening day drew more than 3,500 visitors, with 44 stalls and over 40 self-help group kiosks showcasing crafts, cuisine and community enterprises.
- Sonowal said Visakhapatnam Port Authority and the A.P. Maritime Board have formed a special purpose vehicle toward a proposed national mega shipbuilding cluster at Dugarajapatnam, alongside plans for a Greenfield port there.
- He announced a ₹305 crore Indian Ship Technology Centre under the Indian Maritime University in Visakhapatnam to build capacity in ship design and research.
- Officials reported progress in the lighthouse-tourism program, citing 75 sites developed across 10 states and a sharp rise in visitor footfall since 2014.