MUM-24-04-2023

India and Russia plan big on transport corridors — Mundra to Saint Petersburg, Chennai to Vladivostok

MOSCOW: FESCO, one of the largest private transport and logistics companies in Russia, has announced that it has signed an agreement with an Indian logistics group Saksham Group to develop maritimetransportationbetweenthetwocountries. Cont’d. Pg. 6

MBPA & JNPA jointly welcomes EFTA delegations

MUMBAI: Mumbai Port Authority (MBPA) & Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority (JNPA)

jointly hosted the Parliamentarians from European Free Trade Association(EFTA)countriesrecently

Cont’d. Pg. 27

• Company should file their nomination with supporting documents

• Authentic data scrutinize by Jury Members.

• Short-listing of 3 Nominees in each category

• Assessment by Jury Panel

• Intimation will be sent to short listed nominees

• Announcing Winners on th7 JULY, 2023

• Region : PAN INDIA

•

• Performance, Efficiency, Growth, Network & Customer Satisfaction will be the parameters for merit.

Award Category

AWARD CATEGORY

Best Port of the Year (Containerised and Non-Containerised)

Best Container Terminal of the Year

SPECIFIC CRITERIA

Volume Handled, Year on Year Growth, Expansion Plans, New Initiatives, Variety of Cargo Handled, Handling Equipment, E- Business & Customer Satisfaction

Volume Handled, Year on Year Growth, No. and Size of Vessels handled, Productivity per Crane/ per Area/ per Jetty, Turnaround time

By Rail / By Road movement, ICD’s connect, Length of Jetty, Key length productivity, Hi-tech Facilities & Customer Satisfaction.

Award for excellence with maximum No. of Sailings To & Fro India, with Widest Sector Coverage New Service Introduced, Schedule Integrity & with Widest Sector Coverage, Lowest Transit Time & Year on Year Growth.

Main Line Container Operator of the Year

Best Shipping Line of the Year - India - Far East Trade Lane No. of Services to Far East Ports from India, Year on Year Growth, New Services Introduced & Customer Satisfaction.

Best Shipping Line of the Year - India - Middle East Trade Lane No. of Services to Middle East Ports from India, Year on Year Growth, New Services Introduced & Customer Satisfaction.

Best Shipping Line of the Year - Multipurpose Operator

Volume Handled, Year on Year Growth, Products/Services offered, No. of Vessels & Variety of Cargo Handled, Network & Customer Satisfaction.

Best Shipping Agent of the Year - Breakbulk & Dry Bulk Operator No. of Liner Agencies Handled, Products / Services offered, Year on Year Growth, Network & Customer Satisfaction

NVOCC of the Year – GP / Special Equipment / ISO Flexi Tanks Volume Handled, Year on Year Growth, Network (Pan India / Global) & Customer Satisfaction

Freight Forwarder of the Year -

Volume Handled, Year on Year Growth, Containers / Multicargo / Project Cargo

Network (Pan India / Global), E-Business & Customer Satisfaction

Volume Handled, Year on Year Growth, (For Companies Established less than 30 years) Network (Pan India / Global), E-Business & Customer Satisfaction

Freight Forwarder of the Year

Customs Broker of the Year - Export & Import

LCL Consolidator of the Year - Export & Import

Volume, Variety of Cargo Handled, Year on Year Growth, Number of B/E & S/B filed & Customer Satisfaction

Volume Handled, Year on Year Growth, Widest Sector Coverage, Network & Customer Satisfaction

Volume Handled, Year on Year Growth, New facilities offered, Pan India, Specific & Environment Friendly Turnaround time of Import/Export containers, New Innovations, Step taken for environment protection, Green Initiatives & Customer Satisfaction

Container Freight Station Operator of the Year -

Best Marine Cargo Surveyor of the Year

Best End to End Complete Logistics Solutions Provider

Best Innovative Digital Solution Provider to the Trade/Customers

Best Transport Operator of the Year

Best ISO Tank Cleaning Depot

Logistics Solutions Provider of the Year*

Logistics Company of the Year*

Business Leader and Visionary in Shipping & Logistics Sector*

Dynamic Entrepreneur of the Year*

Shipping & Logistics Superbrand of the Year*

Woman Star in Shipping & Logistics*

Logistics Professional of the Year *

Young Entrepreneur of the Year*

Volume Handled, Year on Year Growth and Customer Satisfaction

FCL/LCL Volumes, Year on Year Growth, Network, Variety of Services offered, Customer Satisfaction, Accreditation (If any).

Services offered through Digital Platform, New Innovations & Customer Satisfaction

Volume Handled, Fleet Size, Year on Year Growth, Network and Customer Satisfaction

Volume Handled, Year on Year Growth, Network and Customer Satisfaction

Successful Diversification in Multiple Logistics Activities

Successful Diversification in Multiple Logistics Activities

Exceptional Contribution to the Growth & Expansion of the Organisation in his/her field

Significant Performance / Innovative steps taken and exceptional personal contribution.

Successful Diversification in Multiple Shipping / Agencies Activities

Exceptional Contribution to the Growth & Expansion of the Organisation in her field

Exceptional Contribution to the Growth & Expansion of the Organisation in his/her field

Significant Performance / Innovative steps taken and exceptional personal contribution.

*Suggestions are welcome.

www.indiamaritimeawards.com

India and Russia plan big on transport corridors — Mundra to Saint Petersburg, Chennai to Vladivostok

Cont’d. from Pg. 3

The corresponding agreement of intent was signed by AndreySeverilov, Chairman of the Board of Directors of FESCO, and Ashish Sheth, Chairman of Saksham Group during Russia’s largest transport and logistics exhibition TransRussiainMoscowearlierthisweek.

Thecompaniesplantoorganisedirectseaservicesfrom the ports of Mundra in Gujarat and Nhava Sheva in Navi Mumbai to the Black Sea port of Novorossiysk and Saint Petersburg and in the opposite directÄion, as well as to conduct a study of the potential cargo base between the ports of Chennai and Vladivostok for the possibility of launchingasealineonthisroute.

“I am sure that cooperation between FESCO and Saksham group will be another important step in the development of the Russian-Indian trade partnership, which over the past year has reached a fundamentally new levelofinteraction,”saidSeverilov.

“The maritime services that we plan to launch with our Indian colleagues will create a reliable base for expanding the cargo turnover and the range of goods between our countries,”headded.

As reported by IndiaNarrative.com, FESCO recently carried out the second Antarctic expedition under a new five-year contract with the National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR) – India’s premier R&D institution responsible for the country’s research activities inthepolarandSouthernOceanrealms.

The Russian company’s icebreaker ship Vasily Golovnin completed a return journey to the South Pole earlier this month during which it delivered cargo to Indian Antarctic research stations Bharati and Maitri on the coast of Antarctica.

In the last week of March, Russia’s Minister for the Development of the Far East and the Arctic Alexei Chekunkov held extended meetings with representatives of Indian companies based in Mumbai and also met Ports, ShippingandWaterwaysMinisterSarbanandaSonowal.

FESCO Vice President for Liner Logistics Division German Maslov, who also accompanied the Russian delegation, spoke about the group’s intermodal services from India to Moscow, Yekaterinburg, Novosibirsk and Khabarovskthroughthemainportsofthecountry.

Later, in his meeting with Indian cargo owners based in Delhi, Maslov noted the growing container turnover betweenIndiaandRussiaandthecurrentservicesbetween IndianportsandVladivostok,SaintPetersburg, Kaliningrad and Novorossiysk, as well as the routes that theGroupplanstolaunchinthenearfuture.

He addressed an India-Russia Business Dialogue along with visiting Russian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Trade and Industry Denis Manturov in New Delhi, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar spotlighted once again on the development of transport corridors along the India-RussiarouteandcontainertrafficbetweenIndianand RussianFarEasternports.

The EAM spoke on the importance of connectivity initiatives, including the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC) as well as the Eastern Maritime Corridor (Chennai-Vladivostok Corridor) that India believes would play a key role in expanding and diversifying the bilateral trade and economic cooperation.

The Commercial Port of Vladivostok is the largest universal port in the Russian Far East. Its annual cargo turnover exceeds 12.9 million tons. Located on its territory, the Vladivostok railway station receives and dispatches up to10trainswithcontainerandgeneralcargoperday.

“The Eastern Maritime Corridor, I think, fits in with our goal, what is called ‘Act East Policy’, as well as the Russian policy of having the Far East come in as an additional driver of the economy. So, I think there is a synergy there which is waitingtobetapped,”saidJaishankar.

MSC to share insights on Digitalization at Singapore Maritime Week 2023

GENEVA: MSC will once again share its insights at the Singapore Maritime Week (SMW), an annual gathering of the international maritime community to advance key industry issues and exchange ideas to bringthesectorforward.Ourparticipationisinlinewithour firmbeliefthatdigitalizationhasthepowertotransformthe industry to one that is more transparent, secure, efficient andsustainableinenablingseamlessinternationaltrade.

Andre Simha, MSC’s Global Chief Digital and Innovation Officer, will be shedding light on various areas of digitalization in maritime at the Digital and Green ShippingCorridorspanelofSMW’sMarineTechConference on 25 April 2023. These include MSC’s perspective on the urgent need for collaboration by the entire eco-system to drive the digitalization agenda to a new level and the electronic Bill of Lading (eBL) as a game-changing digital alternativetoamanualpaper-basedprocess.

MSC, together with the eight other ocean carrier members of the Digital Container Shipping Association

(DCSA)recentlycommittedtoachieving100%eBLadoption by2030.Wewereoneoftheearliestadoptersofthepaperless bill of lading and launched our solution in 2021. MSC’s eBL solution has already transformed the shipping experience for numerous customers around the world by making the processfaster,simplerandmoreefficientthaneverbefore.

Andre Simha said, “As the world’s largest container shippingcompany,MSCisadrivingforcebehindtheindustry’s digital transformation. With the theme of SMW2023 being Ambition Meets Action, it is the perfect platform for us to galvanizetheindustrytotakecollectiveactioninachievingthe ambitionsfordigitalization.Ilookforwardtoalivelyexchangeof ideasanddiscussionswiththeindustry’skeyopinionleaderson thepanel,tobringthesectortogreaterheights.”

The Singapore Maritime Week is organized by the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore. As one of the world’sleadingcontainershippinglines,MSChas675offices across 155 countries worldwide with the MSC Group employing over 150,000 people. MSC’s shipping line sails on morethan260traderoutes,callingat520ports.

FOR U.K., NORTH CONT., SCANDINAVIAN, RED SEA & MED. PORTS from NSICT

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VESSELS DUE AT NSFT/NSICT/NSIGT/GTI/BMCT FOR EXPORT LOADING

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TO LOAD FOR FAR EAST, CHINA & JAPAN PORTS from NSICT

VESSELS DUE AT NSFT/NSICT/NSIGT/GTI/BMCT FOR EXPORT LOADING

PORTS from GTI

TO LOAD FOR FAR EAST, CHINA & JAPAN PORTS from BMCT

NEW ZEALAND PORTS from GTI

TO LOAD FOR AUSTRALIA & NEW ZEALAND PORTS from BMCT

TO LOAD FOR EAST, WEST & SOUTH AFRICAN PORTS from NSFT

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NOTICE TO CONSIGNEES

m.v “X-PRESS ANTARES” V- 23002E I.G.M. No. 2341408 Dtd. 20.04.2023

The above vessel has arrived at NHAVA SHEVA (BMCT) on 22-04-2023 with import cargoes from ports CHANGSHU, GAOMING (IN FOSHAN), HAIPHONG, HUANGPU (IN GUANGZHOU), JAKARTA, KOBE, NAGOYA, NINGBO, OSAKA, PORT

Consignees are requested to present Original Bills of Lading duly discharged and obtain Delivery Order on payment of all charges as applicable. Detention charges where applicable will be charged as per tariff.

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Major Ports handled highest ever cargo at 795 MMT in FY23 : MoPSW Secretary

NEW DELHI: India's Major Ports handled the highest ever cargo in 2022-23, Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways Secretary Sudhansh Pant said. Pant further said that with transactionsworthaboutRs5,000crore, the Shipping Ministry has surpassed its FY23assetmonetisationtargetofabout Rs 3,700 crore. He also said that very soon, Ports, Shipping and Waterways Minister Sarbananda Sonowal will launch 'Green Port' guidelines to make India'sportsgreen.

“Our Major Ports have handled the highest ever cargo in the history of the ports at 795 million metric tonne. This is 10 per cent higher than the previousyear'scargohandled,"hesaid.

India has 12 Major Ports -Deendayal (Kandla), Mumbai, Mormugao, New Mangalore, Cochin,

Chennai, Ennore (Kamarajar), Tuticorin (V O Chidambaranar), Visakhapatnam, Paradip and Kolkata (including Haldia) and Jawaharlal NehruPort.

"Four or five of the Major Ports, including Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port (Kolkata), Deendayal (Kandla), Jawaharlal Nehru Port and Paradip have recorded the highest ever cargo," Pantadded.

He also pointed out that after many many years, the Major Ports have recorded a higher annual growth than thatofnon-majorports.

Non-Major Ports are administered by State Governments. Many State Governments have given such ports on leasetoprivatepartners.

"So, this year (2022-23), Major Ports achieved an overall growth of

10.4 per cent, while Non-Major Ports achieved a growth 1.5 to 2 per cent less thanthis,"hesaid.

WhiletheshareofMajorPortsinthe total cargo was 54 per cent and Non-Major Ports was 46 per cent in FY22, Pant said in FY23, the share of major ports rose to 55 per cent and that ofnon-majorportsfellto45percent.

"So even 1 per cent shift is a very significantachievementformajorports, because despite so many challenges, they have increased their share by 1percent,"hesaid.

Pant also said the inland waterways increased their cargo handling by 16 per cent to 126 million tonne in 202223from109milliontonnein2021-22.

He said the turnaround time in Major Ports has reduced by 3-4 hours to 48-49hours.

India rise 6 spots in World Bank’s Logistics Performance Index 2023

NEW YORK: India climbed up six places in the World Bank's Logistic Performance Index 2023, as investments in soft and hard infrastructure as well as technology helped the country improve its port performance. India is now ranked 38 in the 139 countries index, up from 44 in 2018,saidtheWorldBankreport.

The 2018 report ranked each Country separately. "The Government of India has invested in trade-related soft and hard infrastructure connecting port gateways on both coasts to the economic poles in the hinterland,’ said thereport.

TheseventheditionofConnectingto Compete, the Logistics Performance Index (LPI) report comes after three years of unprecedented supply chain disruptions during the COVID-19 pandemic, when delivery times soared. The LPI, which covers 139 countries, measures the ease of establishing

reliable supply chain connections and the structural factors that make it possible, such as the quality of logistics services, tradeand transport-related infrastructure,andbordercontrols.

“Logistics are the lifeblood of international trade, and trade in turn is a powerful force for economic growth and poverty reduction,” said Mona Haddad, Global Director for Trade, Investment, and Competitiveness at theWorldBank.

On average across all potential trade routes, 44 days elapse from the time a container enters the port of the exporting country until it leaves the destination port, with a standard deviation of 10.5 days. That span represents 60 percent of the time it takestotradegoodsinternationally.

According to LPI 2023, end-to-end supply chain digitalization, especially in emerging economies, is allowing countriestoshortenportdelaysbyupto

70% compared to those in developed countries. Moreover, demand for green logistics is rising, with 75 percent of shippers looking for environmentally friendly options when exporting to high incomecountries.

“While most time is spent in shipping, the biggest delays occur at seaports, airports, and multimodal facilities. Policies targeting these facilities can help improve reliability,” said Christina Wiederer, Senior Economist with the World Bank Group’s Macroeconomics, Trade & Investment Global Practice and the report’s co-author. Such policies include improving clearance processes and investing in infrastructure, adopting digital technologies, and incentivizing environmentally sustainable logistics by shifting to less carbon-intensive freight modes and more energyefficientwarehousing.

E-facility for Customs payment normalising fast : CBIC

NEWDELHI:About20daysafterits launch, the Electronic Cash Ledger (ECL) for payment of custom duty is now normalising although several exporters and importers continued to complain of problems, said the Central BoardofIndirectTaxesandCustoms.

“We are happy to announce that ECLismovingtowardsnormalcyandis receiving more acceptance among users,”theCBICsaid,addingthatusers made customs duty payments of Rs.1,200crorerecently.

Further, 18,064 e-wallets have been activated since the launch of ECL on April 1 and on April 20, 27.78% of challan payments were made through ECL rather than netbanking or NEFT/RTGS,theCBICsaid.

“We have observed a 99.9% success ratio for payments made through ECL

vis-a-vis other modes (netbanking or NEFT/RTGS) on Thursday,” it further said, adding that only 203 wallets continue to be blocked today due to the ongoing reconciliation exercise but will beunblockedsoon.

The CBIC is expected to launch the second phase of the facility from May 1 under which payments relating to courier shipments would be required to be done through ECL. It would also develop other payment functionalities such as auto-debit of self-assessed amount from the ECL when the liability becomesdue.

Launched on April 1, the ECL is an automated payment system under which users can maintain non interest bearing deposit for payment of taxes. However, many users also took to social media and complained that the money

in their ECL wallet is stuck and the ledger is blocked or the payment is not beingreflected.

“By and large the ECL system has stabilised but there continue to be occasional hiccups. These cases should be looked into before the government takes a call on levying of interest,” said Ajai Sahai, DG and CEO, Federation ofIndianExportOrganisations.

As an interim measure to help traders, the CBIC had previously waived interest on the payment of customs duty through the ECL and subsequently said that this dispensation would continue for three days until the system stabilises. Industryisnowwaitingtoseewhenthis dispensation would be continued and is hopeful that the CBIC would wait for somemoretimebeforewithdrawingit.

PM GatiShakti NMP receives PM's Award for Excellence in Public Administration, 2022

NEW DELHI: The Prime Minister's Award for Excellence in Public Administration, 2022, in the category 'Innovation-Central' was conferred by the Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi to the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) at the 16th Civil Services Day Celebration for the successful implementation of the prestigious ‘PM GatiShakti National Master Plan’programme.

The Prime Minister appreciated theeffortsmadeunderPMGatiShakti andfurthersetthevisionaheadforall line Ministries and States/UTs. He highlighted all data layers related to any infrastructure that can be found on a single platform and stressed upon the need to utilize it to themaximumforbetterplanningand executioninthesocialsector.

ThePrimeMinisterfurtheradded that it will greatly benefit in

identifying the needs of citizens, tackling issues related to education that might arise in the future, and enhancing communication between Departments, Districts and Blocks while also helping in the formulation offuturestrategies.

As on date, PM GatiShakti NMP has 1450+ data layers, belonging to Central Ministries (585) and States/UTs (870+). More than 30 Central Ministries / Departments including Infrastructure, Economic and Social sector line Ministries / Departments and all 36 States/ UTs have been onboarded. The institutional mechanism of Empowered Group of Secretaries (EGoS), Network Planning Group (NPG) and Technical Support Unit (TSU)isinplaceandfullyoperational at both national and sub-national level.

All Ministries / Departments and States/UTs are using and have

benefitted from planning on PM GatiShaktiNMPintermsofsavingsin time and cost, optimized planning, faster clearances, cost effective implementation, reduction in project pendency, ease of inter-ministerial coordination,etc.

Initiativeson comprehensive area development- PM GatiShakti Area Approach with a vision to create adequate infrastructure for catalysing socio-economic developmentinasustainablemanner within a rational geographical location through a convergence approacharealsobeingundertaken.

For wider adoption of PM GatiShakti, five Regional Workshopscoveringall36States/UTs tobringmorevigorandbuildsynergy with all the stakeholders of the PM GatiShaktiNMPhavebeenorganized between 20th February 2023 and 12th April 2023 at Goa, Kochi, Srinagar,GuwahatiandVaranasi.

Government set to tweak captive Berth Policy for Major Ports

NEW DELHI: Cargo berths run by port dependent industries for their captive use at state-owned major ports will be allowed to extend their contract beyond the original time frame through a right of first refusal (RoFR) mechanism when such facilities are put to re-tender on completing the term, according to a proposal drafted by the Ministry of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways.

The proposal for extension of the agreement for captive berths forms a key part of the plan to amend the ‘Policy for Award of Waterfront and Associated Land to Port Dependent Industries (PDI) in Major Ports’, which was approved by the Cabinet in 2016, Governmentsourcessaid.

“Theexistingcaptivepolicydoesnot have the provision for extension of the agreement.So,wearenowproposingto make provision for extension also because normally the concession periodis30years,andiftheinvestorhas established the facility with dedicated business to the port, they may ask for continuationalso,”saidanofficial.

The extension of the concession period for captive berths will be on bidding basis to factor in the changes that have taken place since the facility was first awarded, both trade wise and tariffregimewise.

The aim is to go for a fresh price discovery for the facility taking “contemporary issues” into

consideration. “This is necessary to re-evaluate the asset based on the current market scenario/dynamics, whileextendingtheconcessionperiod,” theofficialstated.

“On completing the duration, a captive berth will be re-tendered wherein the existing operator will be given the first right of refusal to match the highest bid and continue running theberth,”theofficialsaid.

The changes being worked out will makethecaptiveberthpolicy“uniform” across major ports. Many of the captive berths currently in operation pre-dates the policy that was introduced in 2016 with the approval of the Cabinet. These captive berths are now governed by different agreements for different durations. Some of them are coming up forrenewalsoon.

The proposed amendments will havetoberatifiedbytheCabinet.

“Many industries in and around a major port are dependent on the captive facility. If the captive berth is taken away suddenly, all of them will be in jeopardy. So,itisimperativetooffertherightoffirst refusal to the existing operator,” said the Deputy Chairman at one of the majorportsontheeasterncoast.

The 2016 policy is being tweaked to bring all the facilitiesonto one platform, headded.

Withreferencetoamajorport,aport dependent industry (PDI) is defined as an entity (including any of its affiliates)

which is dependent on that major port for import and/or export of at least 70 per cent of the designed capacity of theproposedfacilityforcaptivecargo.

Optimal utilization of land and waterfront at the disposal of the major ports is of critical importance, the Cabinet said while approving the Captivepolicyin2016.

“The objective of the policy is to ensure uniformity and transparency in the procedure for awarding captive facilities. The policy will help generate committed business for the major ports on a long-term basis by facilitating the developmentandoperationofdedicated port facilities by industries which are substantially dependent on a particular major port for import and/or export of theircargoandthusplayacatalyticrole in the eventual realization of the objectives of port led development,” itsaid.

Allocation of waterfront and associatedlandtoport-basedindustries on public-private-partnership (PPP) and captive basis is one of the areas which have been identified for investment by the private sector in majorports.

Port Dependent Industries (PDI) will be granted concessions for setting up dedicated facilities in major ports for import and export of cargo and their storage before transportation to destination for 30 years, per the policy finalisedin2016.

Forex reserves rise by $1.657 bn to $586.412 bn

MUMBAI: India's forex reserves rose by $1.657 billion to $586.412 billion as of April 14, marking their second consecutive week of increase, accordingtotheRBIdatareleased.

In the previous reporting week, the

overall reserves rose by $6.306 billion to $584.755billion.FortheweekendedApril 14, the foreign currency assets, a major component of the reserves, increased by $2.204billionto$516.635billion,according to the Weekly Statistical Supplement

releasedbytheRBI.

Gold reserves dropped by $521 million to $46.125 billion, the RBI said. The Special Drawing Rights (SDRs) were down by $38 million to $18.412 billion,theapexbanksaid.

India’s Merchandise Exports may cross $500 billion this fiscal : FIEO

NEW DELHI: The country’s merchandise exports are likely to cross $500billionthisfiscaldueto healthy demand for domestic goods in key global markets, including the US, and benefits from trade pacts, according to exporters. They said that other destinations like Russia would give a huge boost to the country’s outbound shipments, particularly in the agri and food processingsectors.

Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO) said they are targeting to take the shipments to $500 billion-510 billion during the current financial year. Services exports are likely to reach around $390 billion in 2023-24 from $322.72 billion in 2022-23. “Together with goods and services, we are targeting exports of $900 billion

this fiscal,” FIEO Director General AjaySahai said.

Henotedthatfreetradeagreements with the UAE and Australia would provide a huge platform to boost exports in those markets. “Productionlinkedincentiveschemetoowillprovide an impetus to our exports as domestic production would jump due to the incentives,”Sahaiadded.

Ludhiana-based engineering exporter and Hand Tools Association President SC Ralhan said there are healthy signs of economic growth in the US,whichaccountsforabout18percent of India’s total outbound shipments. “Order books are good and we expect that going by the current trend, our exports would cross $500 billion this fiscal,”hesaid.

India’s exports rose by over 6 per cent to $447.5 billion in 2022-23

compared to $422 billion in 2021-22. Mumbai-based exporter and Chairman of Technocraft Industries Sharda Kumar Saraf too said that this fiscal would be better than the last year for India’sexports.

“The impact of the Russia-Ukraine war is tapering off as industry has found an alternate route for trade and sources of energy. In India, there is a significant improvement in infrastructure and that would give solid support to exporters,” Sarafsaid.

Going by the current trend, the exports would cross $500 billion in 202324, he added. Engineering exporter and Director of Geco Trading Corporation Khalid Khan said that labour-intensive sectorsaredoinggoodanditwouldhelp in increasing the shipments.”I expect that the export growth will be better thanthelastfiscal,”Khanadded.

Engineering goods Exports to US up 6.8% in FY23, Shipments to China down 52.4%

NEW DELHI: The US has remained the top destination for India’s engineering goods exports in the financial year 2022-23 with total shipments value recording 6.8 percent year-on-year growth to $18.67 billion.

The other key markets which registered positive growth include the UK, Germany, Singapore, Saudi Arabia,Mexico,andIndonesia.

Exports of engineering goods to China continued a downward trend month after month. In FY23, engineering shipments to China fell by 52.4percentyear-on-yearto$2.63billion from$5.53billioninthepreviousyear.

Exports of engineering goods to China continued a downward trend month after month. In FY23, engineering shipments to China fell by 52.4percentyear-on-yearto$2.63billion from$5.53billioninthepreviousyear.

Theothertopmarketsthatrecorded negative growth during the year includedUAE,Turkey,andThailand.

Engineering exports from India, after reaching their all-time high at $112.16 billion during fiscal 2021-22, finished fiscal 2022-23 at $107.04 billion conceding a decline of 4.57 per cent. In rupee terms, however, engineering exports recorded 2.77 per cent growth

year-on-year. This disparity was due to the substantial year-on-year depreciation of the rupee vis-a-vis the USDollarin2022-23.

“The decline was a direct result of the depressed global demand, especially in the metal sector. FY23 in general has been a difficult year for global trade. While the end of FY22 marked the recovery from the COVID pandemic it was soon overshadowed by the Russia-Ukraine crisis which dented the European and Central Asian economies to a significant extent,” said EEPC India Chairman Mr. Arun KumarGarodia.

He further said that the decline could have been sharper if timely government measures would not have come.

“We appreciate the efforts made by the Ministry of Commerce which has always been forthcoming in coming up with relief measures. Besides, the encouraging words by Hon’ble Prime MinisterShriNarendraModihavehada catalytic effect. We are grateful for the launch of the Foreign Trade Policy 2023 which covers all important aspects of trade including ease of doing business, introduction of Rupee trade, including the states and the districts in export strategy, export incentives, and

infrastructure and logistics,” said Mr.Garodia.

According to the Quick Estimates of the Department of Commerce, Government of India, the share of engineering exports in India’s total merchandiseexportsduringfiscal202223was23.92percentasagainstahigher 26.58percentinfiscal2021-22.

Panel-wise analysis showed that out of 34 engineering panels, 22 recorded growth in exports during 2022-23 while 12concededadeclineinshipment.

Indian engineering exports continuedtodeclineforthefifthstraight month to March 2023 and for eight months in fiscal 2022-23. During March 2023, engineering exports declined by 7.49 per cent to $10.19 billion from $11.01billioninMarch2022.

As many as 16 out of 34 engineering panels witnessed positive year-on-year growth in March 2023, while the remaining18panelswitnessednegative growth in exports. Major engineering productslikeIronandSteel,Productsof Iron and Steel, Aluminium and products, Industrial Machinery, Electrical Machinery and Equipment, Two & Three wheelers, Bicycle parts, Auto Tyres, and Hand tools witnessed a decline in exports during March 2023 vis-à-visMarch2022.

Road Ministry to construct 12,500 km of Highways in FY24: Official

NEW DELHI: The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) has put plans in place to maintain the pace of highway development and construct 12,500 km of highways in the current financial year, a senior official said recently. Alka Upadhyaya, Secretary, MoRTH, saidRs10,000croreisplanned to be raised through Infrastructure Investment Trusts (InvITs) mode in

FY2023-24.

"MoRTH has put plans in place to maintain the pace of highway development, with a strong pipeline of projectsacrossthecountry.

"For 2023-24, MoRTH has taken up targets to award 12,000 km and construct 12,500 km of highways in the Country,"shesaid.

The Ministry has constructed

10,237 kilometres in 2019-20, 13,327 kilometres in 2020-21 and 10,457kilometresin2021-22.

The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd (NHIDCL) are primarily responsible for the construction of national highways and expresswaysinIndia.

Central Govt reshuffles & transfers top officials of MoRTH and DPIIT

NEW DELHI: The Government has appointed Rajesh Kumar Singh, SecretaryintheDepartmentofAnimal Husbandry & Dairying, as Secretary,

DepartmentforPromotionofIndustry andInternalTrade(DPIIT).Singhhas replaced Anurag Jain, an officer of MadhyaPradeshcadre.

The current DPIIT Secretary Anurag Jain has been appointed as Secretary,MinistryofRoadTransport andHighways(MoRTH).

First private sector Cargo Terminal started in Rewari

REWARI: Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation of India Limited (DFCC) has started operations from Rewari Gati Shakti Cargo Terminal (GCT). The GCT is built on the Public Private Partnership (PPP) model, fully invested by private players, and has zero revenue sharing from the IndianRailways.

The Rs 8 crore GCT in Haryana has been built exclusively for container traffic, along Line 10 of the Western Dedicated Freight Corridor (DFC) to New Rewari station. It will be operated by Pristine Mega LogisticsPark.ItwaswonbyPristine in a race with state-owned Container Corporation of India (Concor) and

shipping giant DP World, officials said.

“This is a radical change from the current working of Indian Railways, where Railways shared a part of the terminalaccesschargewiththeGCD operator,”therailwaysfirmsaid.This step has ensured that the terminal can be developed without investment fromtheRailwaysorDFCCC.

The terminal has been commissionedwithin75daysfromthe awardofthecontract.

Senior officials present during the inauguration said that the interest of the private sector is significant considering that all the three companiesinvolvedinthebiddingbid forzerorevenueshare.

Normally, a certain portion of the Terminal Access Charge (TAC) is shared by the Railways with the operator. For example, in Andhra Pradesh, GCT was allotted to Grasim Industries in January, with the Railways getting 15 per cent of the TAC.

A senior DFCC official said, “The bid war involving zero revenue share in this tender led to a reconsideration within the Railway Board. This terminal will be a torchbearer for formulatingnewguidelines.

According to a senior Pristine official, the terminal offers a unique opportunity for the Ludhian-based freight aggregator to generate revenue.

WTO, World Bank, WEF launch joint effort to provide tailored trade and climate analysis

GENEVA: The World Trade Organization, the World Bank Group and the World Economic Forum on 20 April launched “Action on Climate and Trade” (ACT), a new initiative that aims to help participating developing economies, including least-developed countries, use trade to meet their climate change mitigation and adaptation goals. The new initiative, which starts with a pilot phase, will focus on working with participating developing economies to develop climaterelated analysis specific to their tradecircumstances.

ACT will provide participating developing economies with tailored insights so that they can plan for the impacts of climate change on trade, leverage opportunities for climate action and trade growth, and define areas of collaboration with trade partners.

Analysis will be adapted to each economy's specific situation and will explore how trade policy can support the achievement of National Adaptation Plans and Nationally Determined Contributions under the Paris Agreement on climate change. EgypthastakeninterestinACTandis likelytojointhepilotphase.

Domestic stakeholders will be involved in ACT's policy analysis through public-private dialogues, providing participating economies with an opportunity to explore specific ways in which trade can be leveraged to enhance climate change mitigationandadaptationefforts.

In addition, ACT will help policymakers and stakeholders in developing economies engage in international processes where appropriate, such as the WTO's Committee on Trade and Environment, and the WTO's Trade and Environmental Sustainability StructuredDiscussions.

WTO Trade and Environment Division Director Aik Hoe Lim said: "The climate crisis is calling for rapid and effective collective action using every tool in the toolbox. Trade policy offers WTO members, including developing members, a wide variety of options to enhance their climate change adaptation and mitigation strategies. This new pilot initiative by the World Bank Group, the World Economic Forum, and the WTO Secretariat will focus on supporting developing members to leverage trade to improve their climate resilience and decarbonization plans

in a way that is aligned with their specific needs and local circumstances.”

Mona Haddad, Global Director for Trade, Investment and Competitiveness of the World Bank Group said: "By prioritizing sustainable practices and harnessing the power of international trade, developing countries can not only mitigate the impacts of climate change but also create new economic opportunities and build a better futurefortheircitizens."

SeanDoherty,Head,International Trade and Investment, World Economic Forum, said:“Urgent action is needed to meet climate goals. Many companies are undertaking supply chain decarbonization and looking to green trade.Developingeconomiesmustbe empowered to identify new opportunities and shape a future netzeroglobaleconomy."

As highlighted in the WTO's World TradeReport2022,globalcooperation on international trade and related investment needs to be mobilized to enhance the mitigation of and adaptationtoclimatechange,support a just low-carbon transition, and minimizetradefrictions.

SHIPPING MOVEMENTS AT DEENDAYAL PORT

TODAY’S TIDE 24/04/2023

VESSELS IN PORT & DUE FOR EXPORT LOADING

VESSELS IN PORT & DUE FOR IMPORT DISCHARGE

SHIPS SAILED WITH NEXT EXPORT CARGOS DESTN.

LIQUID CARGO VESSELS

SHIPS NOT READY FOR BERTH

KANDLA INTERNATIONAL CONTAINER TERMINAL (KICT)

SHIPPING MOVEMENTS AT ADANI PORT

ADANI PORTS & SEZ LTD. (APSEZ) MUNDRA

SHIPS SAILED WITH EXPORT CARGO

VESSELS DUE IN PORT FOR IMPORT DISCHARGE & EXPORT LOADING

ADANI MUNDRA CONTAINER TERMINAL (AMCT)

CONTAINER VESSELS DUE / IN PORT FOR IMPORT DISCHARGE

CONTAINER VESSELS DUE / IN PORT FOR IMPORT DISCHARGE

TO LOAD FOR U. K. NORTH CONTINENT, MEDITERRANEAN, BLACK SEA, RED SEA, EAST EUROPE & CIS PORT

CONTAINER

/

ADANI MUNDRA CONTAINER TERMINAL (AMCT)

ADANI INTERNATIONAL CONTAINER TERMINAL PVT LTD. (AICT)

TO LOAD

SHIPPING MOVEMENTS AT GUJARAT PORTS PORT PIPAVAV

OTHER PORTS OF GUJARAT

(As on 21-04-2023) JAMNAGAR (BEDI) PORT

on

VESSELS DUE / IN PORT FOR IMPORT DISCHARGE

NSFT

NSICT

NSIGT

GTI

I.G.M. FILED AT JAWAHAR CUSTOMS FOR NSFT/NSICT/NSIGT/BMCT/GTI VESSELS

Pipavav

CMACGMFidelo(V-0PE69W)

MSC Teressa (V-FV316R)

T S Ningbo (V-23003E)

Gabriela A (V-E010)

MICT

Mundra Wan Hai 311 (V-E222)

MSC Freeport (V-IM315A)

Tuticorin Cap San Vincent (V-315W)

India moves from China to Taiwan for High-Tech imports

NEW DELHI : As relations between the two neighbours remain strained,Indiaseemstobeworkingto reduce its dependence on China for telecom instruments and electronic componentsbyincreasingitsimports fromTaiwan.

During April-February 2022-2023, Taiwan’s share in India’s import of telecom instruments jumped to 9 per cent from 2.3 per cent in the sameperiodayearearlier.

Though China continued to be India’s major source of high-tech imports, its share declined from 45.8 per cent to 43 per cent during this period.

India’s telecom instrument imports from China increased by just 0.8 per cent, while that from Taiwan jumped57percent.

Taiwan’s growing share was significant also because India’s overall telecom instrument imports

roseby7.5percentduringtheperiod.

Similarly,Taiwan’sshareinIndia’s import of electronic components during April-January doubled to 6 per cent year-on-year, while China’s reduced by almost 14 percentage pointsto32.8percent.

In value terms, India’s import of electronic components from China during the period contracted 29 per cent to $7.4 billion, while that fromTaiwanroseto$1.3billion

Balmer Lawrie inks MoU with CWC for cold chain logistics

NEW DELHI : Balmer

Lawrie & Co. Ltd has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Central Warehousing Corporation (CWC) for utilising storage and warehousing spaceofCWCforprovidingcoldchain logistics, general warehousing and other ancillary services. This would be valid for a period of ten years from thedateofsigningMoU.

As part of the association, Balmer Lawrie and CWC will collaborate to leverageeachother’scapabilitiesand complement each other to provide servicestocustomersinkeepingwith thegrowingdemandsofthesegment. Both the organisations would work together to strengthen and expand their foothold not only in cold chain logistics but also general warehousing and distribution

panIndia,saidapressstatement issuedbythecompany.

The association with CWC will give a fillip to Balmer Lawrie’s cold chain business unit’s aspiration of achieving over Rs. 100 crore by 2027 and also setting up mini temperature controlled warehouses having a capacity of 1,500 to 2,000 pallet position in Tier-II and -III cities across the country. It would also help address the supply gap in the cold chain logistics segment and will significantly contribute to the country’s economy, Adika Ratna Sekhar, Chairman & Managing Director, Balmer Lawrie, saidinthe statement.

According to Amit Kumar Singh, ManagingDirector,CWC, coldchain business is new to CWC and the

synergy of the expertise of Balmer Lawrie in the cold chain field and the reach/presence of CWC at the most strategic locations will change the dynamicsofcoldchainlogisticsinthe timestocome.

“We have 458 warehouses across the country besides other infrastructure and Balmer Lawrie can leverage them to explore mutually beneficial business opportunities,”hesaid.

Top Ship Leasing companies make a beeline for GIFT City

MUMBAI: Multiple shipping companies, including those with Indian ownership, are looking to set baseinGujaratInternationalFinance Tec-City(GIFTCity),attractedbythe financial benefits and fewer regulatory compliances, which bring it at par with international shipping hubslikeDubaiandSingapore.

The International Finance Services Centres Authority (IFSCA) had implemented a framework for ship leasing last August to attract the multi-billion-dollar industry to India. Now, at least eight companies are in various stages of exploring or

receiving authorisation to set up ship leasing business at GIFT City, said peopleintheknow.

These include global shipping major Foresight Shipping as well as Alphard Maritime Group, Bothra Group, Gandhidham-based ACT Group through its Singapore-based subsidiary Propel Shipping, and steelmaker ArcelorMittal Nippon SteelIndia,amongothers.

The key draws for these companies to GIFT City are the absence of a withholding tax on remittance of payment for ship leasingandacorporatetaxholidayfor

the first 10 years. The 10% withholdingtaxleviedinIndiamadeit unviable for ship owners and lessors tosettheirbasehere,expertssaid.

Otherbenefitsdrawingcompanies toGIFTCityincludefewerregulatory hurdles in terms of permits and licenses. Compliance burden has been a key reason for shipping companies to opt out of setting a base inIndia,expertssaid.

The Gujarat-based financial district also offers lower operating costs including cheaper wages when compared to other international shippinghubs.

IIM Bangalore to launch the TCI-IIMB Supply Chain Sustainability Lab

BANGALORE: IIM Bangalore is launching the TCI-IIMB Supply Chain Sustainability Lab (TCI-IIMB SCSL), a new sustainability lab at the campus, dedicated to the area of Supply Chain Management.

Tobeinauguratedon28April2023,the lab is among IIMB’s constant endeavour toreinventitselfandstayaheadinthearea

of research application. The lab is being set up in partnership with the Transport CorporationofIndia(TCI).

ThisnewlabisatestamentofIIMB’s commitment to academic excellence, research and innovation in the areas of Sustainability and Supply Chain. It will be a vital resource for the academic community and the wider business

fraternity. Renowned Indian cardiac surgeon Dr. Devi Prasad Shetty, Chairperson, Board of Governors, IIMB, will inaugurate the lab in the presence of Prof. Rishikesha T Krishnan, Director, IIM Bangalore, Vineet Aggarwal, Managing Director of Transport Corporation of India, and otherdignitaries.

MBPA & JNPA jointly welcomes EFTA delegations

Cont’d. from Pg. 3

They were welcomed by Shri Rajiv Jalota, IASChairman, MBPA & IPA, in the presence of

The delegation visited JNPA to understand & gain an overview of ports in India. MBPA & JNPA jointly presented their key initiatives for the port. They also discussed mutual business opportunities between EFTA countries & Indian maritimesector.

CONCOR flagged off Double-stack Container Train through Dedicated Freight Corridor

NEW DELHI: The much-awaited Doublestack Container Train through Dedicated FreightCorridorwasflaggedoffbyContainer Corporation of India Ltd. (CONCOR) at ICD Dadri on 20.04.2023 in presence of authorities of CONCOR, DFCCIL, Shipping Lines, Tradersandotherstakeholders,accordingtoa release.

The train departed for Mundra Port. CONCOR is committedtodecreasetransittime,andimproveservice quality.

Withthisconnectivitywdfcreachedtoitslogicalpoint on one side after long wait. Trade should get benefit of

faster delivery and cost benefit of Double Stack movement now Mundra and Pipavav ports are fully on double stack sector. Double stack on flat wagons with electric traction is best possible in the world. So this is better than world class, said the release. We feel proud being architect of Double Stack concept on IndianRailwayagainstallodds,thereleasehighlighted.

Excellent, a surreal feeling of coming to fruition of a project so important for the country, albeit after a long delay.ManymoresuchDFC’sarerequiredforatimeand costeffectivefreightmovementandlogisticsintheentire country,addedtherelease.

Shri Unmesh Sharad Wagh, IRS, Dy Chairman, JNPA,andShriAdeshTitarmare,IAS,DyChairman, MBPA.