Lothal Maritime Heritage Complex Phase 1A Nears Completion Ahead of October 31 Target; Dholera Expressway Link in Place
Phase 1A of the National Maritime Heritage Complex at Lothal, near Dholera SIR, has reached about 82% physical progress, with a revised completion target of October 31, 2026. Thirteen countries have signed collaboration MoUs.
The National Maritime Heritage Complex (NMHC) at Lothal in Gujarat, located near the Dholera Special Investment Region, is approaching its revised deadline for the first phase. Phase 1A of the project had achieved around 82 per cent physical progress as of September 11, 2026, and its completion target has been set for October 31, 2026.
The progress was reviewed at the second Governing Council meeting of the NMHC Society, chaired by Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal. The minister directed the implementing agencies to maintain strict supervision and keep to the October 31 target. The Council was told that several components are still to be completed, including Galleries 4 and 6, the Lothal Town section and the aquatic theming works. A total of 1,492 artefacts have been readied for installation, and the minister called for approvals to be expedited so that the exhibits can be commissioned in time for visitor operations.
The October 31 date is itself a revised target. In May 2026, the ministry had set July 2026 as the target for completing the first phase. No official opening date for visitors has been announced so far.
The NMHC is being developed under the Sagarmala Programme of the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways. The complex spans about 400 acres and has a total project cost of around ₹4,500 crore. It is located at Lothal, an archaeological site of the Harappan civilisation known for one of the earliest dockyards. The Archaeological Survey of India’s excavation work at Lothal has reached around 70 per cent, according to the Council review.
The project has also drawn international participation. Thirteen countries have signed memoranda of understanding with NMHC: Portugal, the UAE, Vietnam, Thailand, the Netherlands, Denmark, Oman, Israel, Germany, the Republic of Korea, Italy, New Zealand and Singapore. Discussions with other countries are under way, with an aim of building more than 35 international partnerships. According to the ministry, these collaborations are intended to support the exchange of artefacts, replicas and ship models, as well as research partnerships.
Plans for later phases were also reviewed. Phase 1B and Phase 2 are proposed to include additional galleries, a 5D dome theatre, a Coastal States Pavilion, a lighthouse museum, a Maritime Research Institute, a museum hotel and an eco resort. Phase 1B alone is estimated to require an additional investment of about ₹3,000 crore. The lighthouse museum is being planned with the Directorate General of Lighthouses and Lightships, and the Maritime Research Institute is being developed with the Indian Maritime University. These components remain at the proposal and planning stage.
For the Dholera region, the project’s connectivity is the most direct link. The Council noted that the Dholera Expressway has been completed and that a plan for the high-speed rail corridor has been finalised. The Ahmedabad–Dholera Expressway was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on March 31, 2026. The Government of Gujarat is supporting the NMHC through connectivity, power, water supply and visitor amenities.
The Council also approved the bye-laws of the NMHC Society, which provide a governance framework for its transition into a fully operational institution. The Society has completed key statutory registrations, including income tax exemption, CSR and Darpan registrations.
“Under the dynamic leadership of Prime Minister Modi, we are not just building a museum at Lothal, we are reviving five thousand years of India’s maritime civilisation and presenting it to the world,” Sonowal said at the meeting.