Union Minister of State for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Shripad Yesso Naik said on Sunday, August 20, that the New Mangalore Port recorded a 9% growth in traffic among all major ports in the country as of July in 2023-24. The port is expected to handle an all time highest cargo by the end of this financial year.
Speaking at the Karnataka region curtain raiser of Global Maritime India Summit (GMIS), 2023, scheduled in Delhi for three days from October 17, at New Mangalore Port Authority (NMPA), the Minister said that the performance of ports can determine trade competitiveness of an economy. The Indian maritime sector has seen rapid strides in ‘ease of doing’ business supported by digital transformation of port operations.
“West coast ports continue to dominate the cargo and container market in India. This implies that there is a scope for higher capacity expansion. The New Mangalore Port being one of the league players on the West Coast envisages to be benefited from this increased trade. The New Mangalore Port has the strategic advantage of being a port with one of the highest capacities of over 105 million metric tonnes serving as a gateway to the booming state of Karnataka,” he said.
The Minister said that the New Mangalore Port is a pioneer in digitisation and automation and also has one of the best operating ratios among all Indian ports. Better business sentiment in Coastal Karnataka and rapid industrialisation with improved connectivity across the Western Ghats will translate into better business for the port in the coming days. The port is projected for better growth in the coming years with implementation of infrastructure upgradation initiatives including construction of a new deep drafted berth No. 17 and a fishing harbor at Kulai.
“India has seen a threefold growth in cruise passenger travel. The volume of traffic on the nation’s waterways has increased by 1,700%. The number of sailors from India has grown, and the country is now in the top five in terms of the supply of skilled labour for the maritime industry. According to the World Bank’s Logistics Performance Index 2023 report, this has increased Indian ports’ productivity and efficiency, putting them ahead of other major maritime nations in terms of ‘turn around time’,” the Minister said.
Mr. Naik said that major ports under the Union Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways have set new records by exceeding cargo handling targets for 2022-23 with 10.4% Year on Year growth. The handling of 795 million metric tons of cargo marks a historic achievement for the nation’s major ports.
He said India is the second largest in global ship recycling and 20th largest in global shipbuilding with rapid capability to expand.
“As India seeks to become a 5 trillion-dollar economy, it will need a state of the art, future proof infrastructure at its ports that can support this growth ambition. What this will need is an out-of-the-box innovative thinking and a new approach to infra creation and management. Working in this, the government is organising the GMIS, a flagship event aimed at propelling the Indian maritime economy through global partnerships and investments,” he said.
The Union Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Shobha Karandlaje also spoke.
