Category Archives: Shipping

The Kerala Maritime Board (KMB), the nodal agency for all maritime-related activities in Kerala, is pulling out all stops to woo investment for the development of port infrastructure in the State which has a 590-km long coastline with 17 minor and intermediate ports. The State has the scope for developing coastal shipping as an alternative in order to divert goods traffic from congested roads. N.S. Pillai, who took over as chairman of the KMB, said the board will be taking a slew of measures to develop coastal shipping. “Crew exchange will soon be a reality in the Kollam port as the work on setting up six Immigration Check Points (ICP) is expected to be completed in two weeks. Once the furnishing works are completed, the board will request the Customs to deploy the staff required for facilitating immigration activities,” said Pillai.

Global Maritime Consultants Group (GMCG) has been appointed as regional national partner for the Barbados Maritime Ship Registry (BMSR). Following a realignment at the registry, GMCG will be using its extensive global network to offer ship owners the BMSR services and continue to develop the registry’s growth and profile. The Barbados Maritime Ship Registry is on the Paris MoU White List and accredited to ISO:9001 with a growing maritime reputation as a provider of inspections and assured ship registration services. BMSR has been a member of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) since 1971 and has a comprehensive network of Appointed Nautical Inspectors across the world’s major maritime locations.

Shipping giant AP Moller Maersk has launched its new air cargo business as it looks to meet customer demand for supply chain security. The company said that its new Maersk Air Cargo business will be operational in the second half of the year and will utilise Denmark’s Billund Airport as its main hub and offer daily flights. The new airfreight company is the result of the existing in-house aircraft operator, Star Air, transferring its activities into Maersk Air Cargo.

With the Centre aiming for rapid ramp-up of India’s infrastructure and logistics sector, the Ministry of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways (MoPSW) has identified nine high-impact infra projects worth Rs 1,913 crore as part of the Pradhan Mantri GatiShakti-National Master Plan (NMP). The high-impact projects will be closely monitored through 2022-23 (FY23). “In totality, we have identified 101 projects estimated to cost around Rs 62,627 crore under GatiShakti. We aim to complete these by 2024, while the target for the nine high-impact projects is by the end of this fiscal year,” said a senior official.

Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority (JNPA) organised a stakeholders’ meet chaired by Shri Sanjay Sethi, IAS, Chairman, JNPA, on the completion of seven years of Sagarmala. During the meeting, the Chairman apprised the various projects initiated by JNPA which are in line with the Sagarmala initiative in the presence of Shri Unmesh Sharad Wagh, IRS, Deputy Chairman, JNPA and HoDs. Sethi said, “All the stakeholders play a crucial role in JNPA’s landmark achievements. They are an integral part of the port. Stakeholders’ views and opinions on various ongoing projects are valuable to us. I want to take this opportunity to thank all the stakeholders for the proactive and constant support in maintaining the country’s growth and ensuring seamless trade.”

Nexxiot announced the launch of the new Nexxiot Cargo Monitor, a revolutionary sensor device which delivers unbeatable connectivity and data performance in a compact, easy-to-use design. It promises to revolutionise global cargo shipping by delivering unprecedented real-time visibility of the location, status, and condition of shipments anywhere in the world. The Nexxiot Cargo Monitor can be used to monitor the transportation of high-value and sensitive products, including perishables, pharmaceuticals, textiles, conditions-sensitive industrial products, electronics and more. Nexxiot’s proprietary, purpose-built software provides a seamless user experience to identify cargo-damaging shocks, excessive humidity, condensation, temperature, cargo provenance, and security issues. The sensor can also connect to Wireless Maritime Services (WMS) which provides connectivity on ocean vessels at sea via cellular and IoT networks.

In a landmark achievement, Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority (JNPA) handled 5.68 Million TEUs during FY 2021-22 against 4.68 Million TEUs in 2020-21, a 21.55 percent increase. This performance is the highest ever at Jawaharlal Nehru Port for any financial year compared to 5.13TEUs in 2018-19. The total traffic handled at JNPA during the April-2021 to March-2022 of the FY 2021-22 is 76 million tonnes, which is 17.26 percent higher as against 64.81 million tonnes for the same period of last year. During FY 2021-22, JNPA handled 6,278 container rakes and 1,007,667 TEUs as compared to 6,092 rakes and 921,512 TEUs in previous year.

In a major milestone, the Paradip Port Authority has achieved the highest record of handling 116.13 million tonnes of cargo in the 2021-22 financial year, surpassing the previous record of 114.55 million tonnes in the 2020-21 fiscal. Officials said that despite a 30 per cent drop in iron ore traffic due to international market conditions and poor demand, they managed to improve their cargo handling by focusing on other commodities.

Keku Bomi Gazder, CEO of AAI Cargo Logistics & Allied Services Co. Ltd., has almost three decades of experience in the Middle East and India in the aviation sector, holding key roles in firms such as Air France-KLM Cargo, Martinair Cargo, and Saudi Arabian Airlines, among others. He has been with AAI Cargo Logistics and Allied Services Company Limited since June 2017, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Airports Authority of India, which is part of the Ministry of Civil Aviation, Government of India. He oversees cargo and logistics operations at over 90 AAI airports, identifying business opportunities across the company’s many verticals for future growth and developing business strategies to stay ahead of the competition in the cargo market. AAI Cargo Logistics and Allied Services Company Limited has begun managing the In-line Hold Baggage Screening System at AAI-managed airports. He works closely with the Ministry of Civil Aviation on a variety of initiatives. Gazder is a part of the following initiatives and committees: the Ministry of Civil Aviation’s Krishi Udaan initiative; the Ministry of Civil Aviation’s Defence Convergence Committee; the Governing Council of the Logistics Skill Council (LSC), established under the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship; the Ministry of Civil Aviation’s Investment Clearance Cell; the Air Cargo Forum of India (ACFI); and the Confederation of Indian Industries’ National Committee on Civil Aviation.

Shailender Anand, Managing Director (India) & Director (Dubai) of Pronk Multiservice India Pvt. Ltd., began his career in sales after graduating with honours from Punjab University, Chandigarh. Anand’s career in the forwarding sector began with Airfreight Ltd, and he then relocated to Dubai to work in the same industry. After 10 amazing years in Dubai, visiting about 60 countries and learning about the global industry, he chose to return to India to pursue better future opportunities. After nearly two decades in the forwarding industry, Anand joined Logistics & Supply Chain in 2011 to work in value-added services, specifically industrial packaging. In 2011, he joined Pronk as a partner and launched Pronk in India. Anand’s adventure at Pronk has spanned over 11 years, and it continues in the industrial packaging and solutions market. Pronk India was approached by Bharat Electronics Ltd., Bengaluru, to develop a solution and boxes to pack 30,000 ventilators for COVID-19 patients in 2020. When India was trying to deal with the pandemic, the Pronk India team, led by Shailender Anand, was working full-time at all of Pronk’s plants across the country, with special clearance from the Ministry of Home Affairs to operate from all of their locations in India.