Container tracking technology soon to be activated at southern ports of Krishnapatnam, Kattupalli & Ennore & new terminal of JNPT (BMCTPL)
DMICDC Logistics Data Services (DLDS), a joint venture between the government of India represented by National Industrial Corridor Development and Implementation Trust (NICDIT) and Japanese IT major NEC Corporation, has announced the launch of the pan-India operation of its Logistics Data Bank (LDB) service.
LDB service is a one-of-its-kind Indo-Japanese technology partnership that provides easy-access single window digital visibility solution to streamline container logistics operations. After successful implementation at ports in the western corridor, including JNPT, the service is now being expanded to three ports in the southern corridor—Krishnapatnam, Kattupalli, Ennore and Bharat Mumbai Container Terminal Pvt. Ltd.
Mr Suresh Prabhu, Minister for Commerce and Industry, announced the nationwide rollout of LDB at a ceremony attended by dignitaries, including, Mr Gopal Krishna, Secretary, Ministry of Shipping; Mr Ramesh Abhishek, Secretary, Department of Industry Policy and Promotion, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, government of India and Chairman, NICDIT; Mr C. R. Chaudhary, Minister of State for Commerce and Industry and Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, government of India; and Mr Kenji Hiramatsu, the Ambassador of Japan.
At the ceremony, agreements were signed to extend the service to Krishnapatnam in Andhra Pradesh, and Kattupalli and Ennore ports in Tamil Nadu and another terminal in the Mumbai region.
This brings the total number of ports where LDB is operational to six; four terminals at the JNPT were the first to pilot the scheme and it was launched at 5 port terminals in Mundra and Hazira under Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone (APSEZ) in Gujarat in May this year, bringing nearly 90 per cent of the traffic along the western corridor and 70 per cent of the total container volume of the country under one tracking system.
LDB uses RFID technology to provide near real-time visibility of container movement in the western corridor through the portal www.ldb.co.in
The LDB provides users a single window interface to check the location of the container along its entire journey, from ports to Inland Container Depots (ICDs) and Container Freight Stations (CFSs), with complete trace back information on intermediate points crossed and time taken.
The web-based interface enables search from any location and any device, and it sends SMS/email alerts to track priority containers and inform users of any delay. The Android version of the LDB for smartphones was also unveiled at the event.
Since its launch in July 2016, the LDB has provided visibility to 5.5 million ex-im containers along the western corridor.
An analysis by the DLDS shows that when compared to June this year, the lead time for truck routes has improved by 25-27 per cent. LDB provides detailed analysis of dwell time, average delivery time, efficiency of different port operators, CFSs/ICDs and toll plazas that are helping identify bottlenecks across the supply chain.
The data published by LDB Analytics report has helped in improving the dwell time of the ICDs by 18-20 per cent, which means goods are moving around faster and delays are being reduced.
Suresh Prabhu said that the pan-India launch of LDB was the realisation of a very important and ambitious project for India, in view of the data-driven future of the economy.
“Data is going to be invaluable to economic activity in the coming years; and projects like LDB that collect, process and convert data into value-added service are important for our future growth,” he said.
He also hailed the strengthening Indo-Japanese economic ties, especially in large-scale infrastructure projects such as the DMIC, and proposed setting up of an exclusive industrial zone for Japanese companies in India with infrastructure and amenities catering to their needs.
Speaking about the future plans for LDB, Mr Alkesh Sharma, CEO and MD of DMICDC and Chairman of the DLDS, said the plan is to extend the tracking services for bulk cargo.
“We will use the existing LDB infrastructure and synergise with various other initiatives by the Indian government to bring in efficiencies across the logistics sector through the use of Information Technology,” he added.
