Decades-Long Connectivity Woes in Coastal Karnataka Highlight Governance Gap: NMPA Chief

Rapid Summary

• New Mangalore Port Authority (NMPA) Chairman A.V. Ramana highlighted longstanding connectivity challenges between coastal Karnataka and the rest of the state during his keynote address at the CII Mangaluru Infrastructure & Logistics Summit on July 24, 2025.
• He noted that National highways NH 75 (mangaluru-Bengaluru route) and NH 275 (Mani-Mysuru route), as well as rail links like Mangaluru-Hassan, suffer disruptions during heavy rains, causing airfares to spike up to ₹10,000 per person.
• Ramana criticized piecemeal infrastructure progress strategies and emphasized how systematic planning could accelerate regional growth.Despite constraints, NMPA increased cargo handling from 34 million tonnes to 46 million tonnes in five years and boosted post-tax profit from ₹110 crore to ₹550 crore.
• The Chairman claimed better connectivity could have enabled handling up to 65 million tonnes of cargo wiht an additional PAT of ₹150 crore.
• Principal Secretary for Industries and Commerce S. Selva Kumar spoke about sustained efforts under Karnataka’s ‘Beyond Bengaluru’ initiative for inclusive growth in manufacturing and logistics sectors but did not delve into specific challenges faced by coastal regions. He also highlighted karnataka’s No.1 position in per capita GSDP and No.2 rank in attracting FDI.

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