Significantly lower port turnaround time will attract Global Shipping Lines: Sarbananda Sonowal

NEWDELHI:Overthenext25yearsIndiawillwitness breakneck progress in infrastructure development with communicationandtransportremainingthebedrock,said Shri Sarbananda Sonowal, Minister for Ports, Shipping,andWaterways. Speakingtoanewsperson,he said India’s ports have recorded significant improvement in turnaround time and made a case for attracting more global shipping lines to the country with greenfield and brownfieldportupgradationplansunderway

Heopined,therehasbeenasignificantimprovementin port parameters such as port efficiency, productivity, and performance in the past nine years. The total cargo handling capacity in major ports has increased by 86% from 871.52 mtpa in 2014-15 to 1617 mtpa in 2022-23. Policy reforms have also been successfully implemented toempowermajorportauthorities.

This should be looked at considering 60 years of misgovernance of the Congress-led governments, against nine years of breakneck development under the present regime.

Ondwelltime,hesaidtheaverageContainerdwelltime of India is less than 3 days which is better than UAE and

SouthAfrica–4Days,USA–7Days,andGermany–10Days.

On steps being considered to encourage Shipping Lines to prefer Indian ports, he said, “we need to enter strategicallianceswithmajorshippinglinestosetuptheir dedicated terminals in Indian ports. This would ensure thattheirvesselscallatIndianports,bringingmorecargo and business. It is also required to increase gateway and transhipment cargo at Indian ports, minimise turnaround time, rationalizing vessels, and cargo related charges. Value-added services such as bunkering, container repair, vessel inspection and repairs can also be developed at Indianports.”

“Multiple ports are undergoing an uplift. Development of Vadhavan port with cargo handling capacity of over 300 mtpa is under pipeline. This deep draft port in Maharashtra is expected to add container handling capacity of more than 23 million twenty feet equivalent units(TEUs)by2040,placingIndiaontheglobalmapoftop 10containerports.

Major Ports of Deendayal Port and Paradip Port would also be developed as mega ports having cargo handling capacityofmorethan300mtpaby2027.