Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT), the premier container port in the country yet again up-scaled its performance to close the financial year, FY –’19 on a high note, acheiving 5.13 Million teus in container handling, which is a 6.2% increase from the last financial year which closed at 4.83 Million teus. The Port added another feather in its cap, by handling 4.71 Lakh teus in March alone which is the highest number for any month. This superb performance reflects the continuous growth trajectory over the last few years owing to the improving operational efficiency; Port led development and expansion of cargo handling capacity at JNPT.
Speaking on this, Shri Sanjay Sethi, Chairman, JNPT said, “We are delighted to have yet another record high performance year at JNPT and we hope to keep this growth momentum going. While the global markets did well this financial year which reflects in our business numbers, I would give equal credit to all the departments at JNPT who implemented many new initiatives which improved the overall efficiency of the Port and provided ease of doing business for our stakeholders. At JNPT, we are constantly looking to innovate and better our services to not only exceed global benchmarks but also create value for trade. So our high performance numbers are a validation of our continuous efforts to empower trade and make India a foremost player in the global maritime sector.”
Taking an overview of the numbers, JNPT registered an uptick in the traffic handled with a 6.2% growth in container cargo volume during this financial year. Total liquid cargo volume handled during this year stood at a record 7.56 million tonnes reflecting not only a 5.25 % growth over the last financial year but is also the highest liquid volume handled, any year. Looking at the respective Terminal performance indicates that Gateway Terminal handled 2.04 million teus, port-owned JNPCT handled 1.05 Million teus, NSIGT and NSICT together handled 1.50 million teus and the newly opened BMCTPL (Phase 1) accounted for 0.5Million teus. The overall tonnage of the cargo handled reflects a 7.12% increase this financial year as compared to the last.
The overall performance numbers show a healthy growth so far and JNPT is already upgrading and expanding its facilities to match the growing demand and global trends of the maritime sector.The initiatives of DPD & ITT services, digitalization & automation of various processes and better operational capabilities has helped to reduce its overall Port Dwell time which is a major boon for the EXIM community, apart from saving time and significant trade cost. On the new initiatives front, the Port completed dredging of its navigational channels from 14 Mtsto 15 Mts which will allow large vessels upto 12,500teus to berth at the Port. In the global market, the vessels are getting bigger to account for the increasing demand of business and this strategic move will equip JNPT to handle these large consignments, automatically leading to more container traffic and business growth. The Port based SEZ is also developing a ‘Free Trade Warehousing Zone’, which will accentuate JNPT-SEZ as a preferred investment destination for both domestic and global companies. The land allocation at SEZ happens through a bidding process and already 75 acres of land has been awarded to 16 investors (15 plots for SMME and 1 plot for FTWZ facilities) through 3 rounds of e-tender cum e-auction process for setting up manufacturing units and FTWZ facilities at JNPT SEZ. The fourth round of bidding process is in progress. The growth of the SEZ project will not only benefit the companies who are there but will also provide huge scope for employment and development for the local community, thus contribute to the nation’s growth.Apart from this, various other projects are also underway such as, 3000 Cr infrastructural and road development projects to accommodate the increase in container volume at the Port, development of dry ports and satellite port which will drive the next phase of transformation of the Port. These initiatives are stepping stones to elevate the stature of JNPT among the leading global ports and also expand the country’s business capabilities in the maritime sector, making it the gateway for international trade.
JNPT is also strengthening its global ties with neighbouring marketsby inviting delegations from various countries to visit the Port and explore strategic partnerships which will be mutually beneficial. These partnerships will help JNPT to expand its presence in the international market as a key node for emerging business routes for cargo shipment and economic growth opportunities.
