The Business Bytes
New Delhi, December 3, 2024 (TBB Bureau): India has achieved a significant milestone in enhancing the operational efficiency of its major ports, with the average turnaround time for ships being reduced by an impressive 48.65 per cent over the past decade. Union Minister for Ports, Shipping & Waterways, Sarbananda Sonowal, informed the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday that the turnaround time has dropped from 93.59 hours in 2013-14 to just 48.06 hours in 2023-24.
This remarkable improvement reflects the government’s concerted efforts to modernise port infrastructure and streamline operations, significantly lowering logistics costs and bolstering India’s global trade competitiveness.
Highlighting the initiatives behind this achievement, Sonowal stated, “The government has implemented a range of measures, including constructing new berths and terminals, modernising existing infrastructure, digitalising processes, and improving hinterland connectivity via rail and road.”
Among the top-performing ports, Jawahar Lal Nehru Port near Mumbai stands out with an average turnaround time of just 26 hours. Other ports have also demonstrated notable efficiency: Chennai at 44.92 hours, Paradip at 41.61 hours, Deendayal (Kandla) at 54.24 hours, Cochin at 33.4 hours, New Mangalore at 40.44 hours, Visakhapatnam at 65.86 hours, Mumbai at 62.97 hours, Kamarajar (Tamil Nadu) at 44.37 hours, and Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port (Kolkata) at 60.85 hours.
The minister also attributed this progress to the ambitious Sagarmala programme, a flagship initiative launched under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, aimed at modernising India’s ports, enhancing connectivity, and reducing logistics costs.
India’s strides in port development have not gone unnoticed on the global stage. Nine Indian ports were ranked among the Global Top 100 in the Container Port Performance Index (CPPI) 2023, a report by the World Bank and S&P Global Market Intelligence.
“This is a tremendous achievement for Indian ports and a testament to the efforts made by the Modi Government to modernise, mechanise, and adopt cutting-edge technologies to improve performance,” Sonowal rsaid.
The government’s focus on infrastructure development, capacity augmentation, and policy-driven improvements such as the Berthing Policy have played a crucial role in these advancements. Efforts include the mechanisation of berths, deepening of drafts through capital dredging, and seamless integration of road and rail networks to major ports.
