Photo source: Visakhapatnam Port Authority
New Delhi: In a first for the country, nine Indian ports have made it to the global top 100 in the latest edition of Container Port Performance Index (CPPI), 2023 – a report prepared by the World Bank and S&P Global Marketing Intelligence. The Container Port Performance Index (CPPI) measures the resilience, efficiency and overall performance of the Ports.
Terming this as a significant boost to India’s port development programme, Union Minister of Ports, Shipping & Waterways, Sarbananda Sonowal credited the ambitious Sagarmala programme for modernising the ports and improving their efficiency.
Speaking on the occasion, Sonowal said, “This is a tremendous achievement for the Indian ports and is a testament to the efforts taken by the Narendra Modi Government to modernise, mechanise and make them technologically savvy to improve performance and enhance efficiency. There has been a significant improvement via operational efficiency and service delivery in the efficient handling of ships and cargo.”
The Minister said India has worked to improve the efficiency of its ports through “path-breaking ambitious initiatives” like Sagarmala. “This has helped us build resilience, incorporate new technology, and green infrastructure to ensure the stability of global markets and sustainability of India’s maritime industry,” he said.
Sonowal expressed confidence that with sustained effort in this regard, the Indian maritime sector will further improve the resilience and efficiency of Maritime gateways and boost port-led economic development.
Vishakhapatnam Port has showcased strong performance with 27.5 moves per crane hour, a turnaround time (TRT) of 21.4 hours, and minimal berth idle time. These metrics highlight the port’s efficiency in handling container ships and significantly influence customer preference. Mundra Port also climbed up the index to 27 in the current ranking, upping its rank from 48 last year.
Seven other Indian ports, which secured ranks in the top 100, are Pipavav (41), Kamarajar (47), Cochin (63), Hazira (68), Krishnapatnam (71), Chennai (80) and Jawaharlal Nehru (96).
– global bihari bureau
