DIVYA DELHI : Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has proposed a ₹10,000 crore container manufacturing scheme over five years to build a globally competitive ecosystem and promote sustainable cargo movement. The Budget also includes a new scheme to strengthen domestic manufacturing of advanced construction and infrastructure equipment (CIE). To improve logistics, new Dedicated Freight Corridors will connect Dankuni to Surat, while 20 new National Waterways will be operationalised, starting with NW-5 in Odisha. Ship-repair hubs will be set up in Varanasi and Patna, and a Coastal Cargo Promotion Scheme will encourage a shift from road and rail to waterways. Training institutes will be developed as Regional Centres of Excellence to build skilled manpower.
