Category Archives: Shipping

Before the agreement allowing India to utilise the Chittagong and Mongla ports in neighbouring Bangladesh for trade comes into effect, the Kolkata port will conduct four trial runs, an official said. The effort will increase traffic on inland waterways using the Indo-Bangla Protocol route. The 13th India-Bangladesh Joint Group of Customs (JSC) meeting, held in March, is when the decision to undertake trial runs was made, as per Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port official. He said it was decided ships may transport cargo for both Bangladesh and India’s northeastern states. “Test runs must be completed within six months, and we have been asked to conduct them. All destinations are in Bangladesh,” SMP chairman Vinit Kumar said. The trial runs will be conducted on following routes—Mongla to Tamabil (a steep location in Bangladesh’s Sylhet), Tamabil to Chittagong, Chittagong to Sheola (a land border) and Mongla to Bibirbazar. 

Kandla Port (Deen Dayal Port Authority) in Gujarat is the first port in India to have 5G Telecom facilities as part of the central government’s efforts to beef up infrastructure in the state. Major ports of the country have been linked the dedicated freight corridor so that goods could reach the North Indian hinterland within hours. The project will help the port to fulfill its vision of becoming an efficient mega port by experimenting on new automation processes on 5G networks to improve cargo handling. The Kandla port has thus become the only port (minor, major or private) to be 5G ready before the planned launch of 5G network in the country. To process the infrastructure the department of telecom (DoT) officials visited the Gujarat port along with officials of telecom service providers and infra providers i.e. Indus Towers, Vodafone, Jio, Airtel and BSNL on April.

Sarbananda Sonowal, the Union Minister of Ports, Shipping & Waterways (MoPSW) and Ayush, reaffirmed India’s commitment to utilising Iran’s Chabahar Port to maximise maritime logistical opportunities with the Central Asian region. The multi-modal logistical corridor is the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC), will be connected via the bustling Shahid Beheshti Port at Chabahar in Iran. This will reduce the government’s maritime logistical expenses, which will increase trade between the two regions. The minister was speaking on Chabahar Day. He said the government was engaging with high-level diplomatic group from Central Asian nations in Mumbai in this connection.

AP Moller- Maersk has successfully completed the first India-Bangladesh cross-border logistics of containerised cargo using the inland waterways of the Indo-Bangladesh Protocol Route for Coca-Cola Bangladesh Beverages. By transporting 50 containers (TEUs or Twenty Feet Equivalent Units) from Kolkata in India to a river port near Dhaka in Bangladesh on a barge on the National Waterways 1 on the India side, said an official statement. “The Indo-Bangladesh Protocol Route has created great trade opportunities for the two countries over the last decades. By advancing into containerised transport on this route, we are expanding  the opportunities for importers and exporters from the two countries with a faster, more reliable and safer option for their cargo,” said Vikash Agarwal, MD, Maersk South Asia. Soumyendu Sen Sarma, Director – Finance, Coca-Cola Bangladesh Beverages, also said, “The maiden barge voyage has been successfully executed where there has been a significant reduction of transit time. The delivery schedule of the cargo, which used to be routed through the transhipment hub and then arrive in Chittagong and further to the  destination, used to be impacted severely with delays. The speed of delivery with the new solution offered by Maersk over inland waterways is going to be extremely beneficial for us.”

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on Wednesday laid the foundation stone for the Ramayapatnam Port in Nellore district, marking the beginning of construction work at Rs 3,736.14 crore. He said there are only six ports in the state since Independence and the ruling government is bringing four more ports, including Ramayapatnam, to boost economic activity, job opportunities, and overall development in the state. The Chief Minister added Ramayapatnam Port is being taken up at an investment of Rs 3,740 crore for four berths with a handling capacity of 25 MT, where six more berths can be added in the future at a cost of Rs 200 crore for each for handling 50 MT. With the construction of four ports, 100 MT of cargo handling can be added to the existing capacity of 228 MT, he added.

Shiprocket has recently announced acquisition of Arvind’s omnichannel technology business, Omuni. The transaction will be carried out as a combination of stock and cash for total consideration of Rs 200 crores. Combination of both entities will facilitate quick, efficient deliveries of shipments from the nearest store or warehouse thus reducing delivery timelines and enhancing customer experience. Focusing on leveraging cutting-edge technology to build data-driven solutions and integrated product offerings, the Shiprocket and Omuni deal is expected to ensure better inventory utilization, faster-localized fulfillment, optimize operational costs, and deliver delightful multichannel experiences. With seamless inventory synchronisation between online and offline channels, order volumes and order fulfilment rates will increase for retailers.

To cater to the future requirement of the hinterland and further benefit the downstream industries around the Gujarat and allied states, Deendayal Port Authority, Kutch, Gujarat is set to develop two Mega Cargo Handling Terminals on a BOT basis under PPP Mode at an estimated cost of Rs. 5963 crores. The Authority has decided to develop a Container Terminal and a Multipurpose Cargo Berth at Tuna-Tekra in the Kutch District. The Container terminal plans to handle next-generation vessels/deeper draught vessels up to 6000 TEUs to 21000 TEUs with a draught of 14m to 18m, respectively. The Estimated Cost & Optimal handling Capacity of the Terminal is Rs. 4243.64 Crores and 2.19 million TEU, respectively. Once operational, the terminal will be well equipped to tap into the container market growth in the region with better infrastructure and a state-of-art world-class container facility. The proposed facility shall be used for handling multipurpose cargo, viz., food grains, fertilizers, coal, ores and minerals, steel cargo etc. Once fully operational, the port is envisaged to shift the existing handling of Coal from Kandla to Tuna Tekra and cater to the future growth in multipurpose cargo (other than container/liquid) traffic.

The Indian Institute of Freight Forwarders (IIFF), part of the Federation of Freight Forwarder’s Associations in India (FFFAI) launched its third online diploma in Shipping, Logistics and Freight Forwarding on 2 July 2022 for the aspiring logistics aspirants. The program will take place over 300 hours on weekdays from 7pm to 9pm. Chief Guest FFFAI Chairman, Shankar Shinde focused on the importance of training and skill development for enhancing domain knowledge concerning the logistics industry. He also encouraged the students to be updated with shipping news as currently there are numerous changes that the industry is going through. President of IIFF, Tej Contractor welcomed all dignitaries, faculties and participants who were present for the inauguration, followed by a speech from Secretary of IIFF Nirav Thakker who shared a background of the IIFF and its parent organization, FFFAI.

To accelerate digital transformation of global maritime industry, Kale Logistics Solutions (Kale) has become the first Indian IT firm to join the International Association of Ports & Harbors (IAPH). “Kale will add its expertise to the voices of 280 ports and port-related businesses counted among the membership of the Tokyo-based trade association, which represents the interests of port authorities and operators at regulatory level,” as per a release issued by Kale. High on Kale’s agenda, IAPH members and the global maritime industry is the standardisation and harmonisation of electronic ship-to-shore communication. “In May this year, the IMO’s Facilitation Committee announced amendments to the Facilitation Convention that will make single window for data exchange mandatory in ports around the world from January 2024, marking a crucial step in the acceleration of digitalisation in shipping,” the statement added.

Approval has been granted by Sri Lanka’s Defence Ministry to launch a cargo ferry service between Kankesanthurai (KKS) and Tamil Nadu. Fisheries Minister Douglas Devananda said in a statement that permission was granted for the commencement of a cargo ferry service between KKS and the Karaikal Port, and Port of Pondicherry in Tamil Nadu. He said a cargo boat service will commence thereafter. Devananda added the service will allow Sri Lankans access to fuel, fertilizer, milk power, and other essentials including medicines, at a low cost.