INDIA Trends and Developments Contributed by: Gautam Bhatikar, Deeksha Dev Singh and Isha Patil, Phoenix Legal
of consultancy, the sale of digital products and attracting investments. These partnerships sig - nify a significant step towards leveraging global expertise and resources to propel India’s mari - time sector forward. Gujarat’s Future International Port City The Gujarat Maritime Board’s visionary plan to develop an international port city marks a trans - formative milestone in India’s maritime infra - structure. Inspired by globally renowned port cities such as Rotterdam, Dubai and Antwerp, Gujarat envisions the creation of a world-class hub featuring state-of-the-art infrastructure, including advanced terminals, residential com - plexes and a wide array of marine activities. Proposed locations for this international port city include Pipavav, Hazira, Nargol, Porbandar, Amreli, Bhavnagar and the Gulf of Kutch. These strategically chosen sites are notable for their proximity to key maritime routes and their poten - tial to support seamless trade and commercial operations. The decision to embark on this transformative project aligns with the government’s long-term vision outlined in the Maritime Amrit Kaal 2047 manifesto. This visionary document underscores the commitment to developing cutting-edge facilities capable of handling substantial cargo volumes and offering ancillary services such as shipbuilding, repair and water sports. The expected deep-draft terminals with extended quays and advanced mechanisation are poised to handle 250–500 million tons annually, usher - ing in a new era of maritime excellence. To ensure the success of this monumental undertaking, the government has enlisted the expertise of global real estate powerhouses, to provide advisory services as needed. This stra -
tegic partnership underscores Gujarat’s com - mitment to leveraging global best practices and expertise in order to realise its vision of a world-class international port city. With the mas - terplan nearing finalisation, the commencement of phase one construction next year marks a pivotal milestone in Gujarat’s journey towards maritime prominence. The Admiralty Act, 2017 A notable advancement ushered in by the Admi - ralty Act is the expansion of admiralty jurisdic - tion to include the High Courts of coastal states such as Karnataka, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Gujarat and Telangana, supplementing the existing admiralty courts in Mumbai, Kol - kata and Chennai. This expansion carries legal implications, notably the elimination of concur - rent jurisdiction previously vested in presidency courts. Under the Act, each High Court’s juris - diction now extends to the territorial waters fall - ing within the respective state’s purview. The Admiralty Act is a welcoming change in the field of admiralty jurisdiction as it consolidates the law and removes all ambiguities or uncertain - ties on matters of admiralty jurisdiction of courts. Consequently, admiralty courts are empowered to adjudicate on a range of maritime matters, including vessel arrests, maritime claims out - lined in the Act and issues concerning vessel arrest, detention, sale and related proceed - ings. The Act underscores the admiralty court’s authority to entertain in personam actions per - taining to claims arising from vessel collisions, manoeuvres or non-compliance with collision regulations as stipulated in the Merchant Ship - ping Act, 1958. However, the Admiralty Act imposes certain restrictions on the exercise of jurisdictional power. It mandates that at least a portion of the
227 CHAMBERS.COM
Powered by FlippingBook