Syllabus
GS 3: Economy and Infrastructure
Context: –
After being a dead dock for long time Machilipatnam port is set for its revival and boost to the Indian economy.
More on the News
- Nearly half of the work of port is done and is expected to start by end of the year 2026.
- Around 48% of the new Greenfield port at Manginapudi has already been completed.
- It will bringing immense economic growth and job opportunities and this project is important for both Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.
About Machilipatnam Port
Location
- Located 70 km east of Amravati at the mouth of Krishna River on the Coromandel cost of India.
- Machilipatnam, also called Masulipatnam, Maisolia, or Manjarika was an important port city on India’s east coast for around 1,700 years.
Ancient roots
- Machilipatnam first grew under the Satavahana Empire (1st BCE – 2nd CE), which supported inland and overseas trade.
- Fine muslin textiles were exported from this port to Roman markets. The word “muslin” comes from Maisolia, another name for Machilipatnam.
- Machilipatnam was a centre for Buddhist monks and traders going to Southeast Asia. It was called ‘Manjarika’ in Southeast Asian texts.
- Under Sultan Quli Qutb Shah (1512–1543) Machilipatnam was captured and developed.
- It became a global trade hub for Golconda diamonds, muslin and Kalamkari textiles. The shorter travel time to Golconda (compared to Goa/Dabhol) made it the preferred export port.
- Dutch east India Company set up in 1605 and English east India Company establish its first factory here in 1611.
- Mughal conquest of Golconda in 1687 disrupted local trade. In 1724 Nizam of Hyderabad took over the port and in 1768 Nizam son signed Treaty of Machilipatnam with British east India Company and gave the port.
- In 1864 a devastating cyclone hit Machilipatnam, killing 20,000 people and leading to the decline of the port.
- The British shifted their focus to Madras (Chennai) reducing Machilipatnam’s importance.
Cultural importance
- Machilipatnam has been a cultural melting pot. The city is known for Kalamkari, an intricate form of hand-painted or block-printed cotton textile.
- This art form flourished because of patronage of traders passing from port.
Economic importance
- It has become a hub of economic activity. It is located strategically on the Bay of Bengal.
- It helps in export and import key goods like rice, textiles and pharmaceuticals.
- The port is important for connecting land lock areas of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana to global market.
Infra and modernization
- The new port is called an engineering marvel 56 million cubic metres of sand was dredged for ship anchorage. 2.5 km long breakwater is being built using 2.1 million tonnes of rock.
- Tetrapod (3-tonne concrete blocks) are used to protect the port from sea waves 55% of tetrapod casting is completed and placement is ongoing.
- Machilipatnam Port has been modernised in phases to meet growing needs.
There are plans to develop it into a deep-sea port for larger ships.
- The government is improving the port’s cargo-handling capacity to make it more competitive globally. This makes the port an economic asset and a symbol of growth.
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