Category Archives: Shipping

Sarbananda Sonowal, a BJP veteran from Assam, took the oath as a Union Cabinet Minister of Ports, Shipping & Waterways in the Modi government for the third time. The 61-year-old’s clean image, oratorial skills and popularity among the masses in Assam ensured that he got another stint at the Centre for the third time.  Sonowal was the minister of state (independent charge) of youth affairs and sports in the first Modi government from 2014 to 2016, when he resigned to head the first Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led coalition in Assam.

According to the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, major ports collectively handled 12.310 million TEUs, up 8.06% from FY23’s 11.392 million TEUs. Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority led the way by managing 6.43 million TEUs, over half of the total volume. Petroleum, oil, and lubricants (POL) cargo increased 5.06% to 245.990 mt from the previous year’s 234.137 mt. Iron ore shipments surged 32.68% to 61.031 mt, raw fertilizer shipments rose 13.56% to 9.406 mt, and coking coal and other coal movements increased 10.24% to 64.939 mt. Moreover, Paradip Port Authority led cargo handling among major ports, reaching 145.379 mt in FY24, up 7.40% from the previous year’s 135.362 mt. India’s Ports and Shipping sector has been on a remarkable upswing lately. Whether it’s the external trade, expanding ports’ capacity, or the 7,517 kilometers of coastline dotted with over 200 ports, the growth has been undeniable. And recently, the performance of the 12 major ports under the Union government’s ownership saw an uptick in cargo handling. In FY24, these ports collectively managed a staggering 819.227 million tonnes (mt) of cargo, marking a 4.45 percent increase from the previous year’s 784.305 mt. With India’s ports handling approximately 95% of the nation’s international trade volume, this surge in growth signals a new era of efficiency for the industry. What 2024 has seen so far?

SITA launches SmartSea through an initial agreement with Columbia Shipmanagement (CSM), the world-class ship manager and maritime service provider. SmartSea is the industry’s first company with the power to reshape the maritime sector by facilitating access to the same advanced technology that has already transformed the air transport industry. At the same time, CSM becomes the first SmartSea client to exponentially upscale its operations through this cutting-edge technology. With this strategic step, SITA is embedding its transformative footprint into the maritime industry, breaking boundaries and simplifying processes for more efficient and profitable operations across the entire value chain. With 75 years of experience, SITA serves 95% of international destinations in the air travel industry, and over 2,500 airlines, airports, ground handlers and governments all working closely with the company. More than 70 governments and all G20 nations trust SITA solutions, and 85% of international air passengers globally benefit from SITA digital border solutions. SITA’s undeniable role in transforming the air industry and shaping it into what it is now is the strongest proof of the value SITA can provide to the maritime sector. SITA’s expansion into maritime is clear evidence of its ambition and capacity to boost digital innovation in a sector that, facing similar challenges, can be greatly enhanced by solutions for the air transport industry, estimated to be 10-15 years ahead in terms of technology adoption. Both the maritime and aviation sectors operate in a complex and highly regulated ecosystem globally, are capital intensive, and heavily reliant on data and communication while also facing very similar sustainability requirements. Moreover, ports and ship terminals experience the same challenges and opportunities; vessels require turnaround and maintenance, the same as aircraft, …

Kale Logistics Solutions (Kale) has published a readiness survey of 200 ports that revealed 30 per cent are not prepared to adopt the International Maritime Organisation (IMO)’s Maritime Single Window (MSW) mandate, which will become compulsory worldwide from 1st of January 2024. Kale highlighted the urgency for the industry to speed up its digital transformation as it unveiled the survey results, which also cited high implementation costs, long timelines, and varying levels of digital readiness as leading factors hindering regulatory compliance. The study involved ports located throughout the Asia Pacific, Middle East, Europe, Africa, North America, and South America, and emphasised that Port Community Systems embedded with an MSW are integral to achieving the true potential of a port. “The purpose of this study was to identify the tangible benefits the maritime industry can achieve with technology intervention, and the results showed potential savings of up to USD50 billion annually by using MSW platforms,” said Vineet Malhotra, Co-Founder and Director, Kale Logistics Solutions. “However, these benefits are subject to 100 percent adoption of the MSW, and our report reveals that ports are encountering a number of barriers that hinder this digitalisation. “The MSW concept has the potential to revolutionise the international shipping industry.” Kale’s MSW platform is compliant with IMO standards and enables information and documentation to be transferred electronically between maritime and port stakeholders, which will become a compulsory requirement from the start of 2024. “The importance of this study will sow the seed for a digital revolution in the maritime industry worldwide, demonstrating how digitisation can not only bring order to the ongoing chaotic operations in the industry but also achieve significant sustainability goals in the long run,” …

Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India inaugurated the third edition of the Global Maritime India Summit 2023 via video conferencing on Monday in Mumbai. The summit will be held till 19 October. During the programme, Modi unveiled ‘Amrit Kaal Vision 2047’, the blueprint for the Indian maritime blue economy. The blueprint outlines initiatives aimed at enhancing port facilities, promoting sustainable practices, and facilitating international collaboration. He also laid the foundation stone of projects worth over Rs 23,000 crore aligned with the ‘Amrit Kaal Vision 2047’ for the Indian maritime blue economy. He laid the foundation stone of Tuna Tekra all-weather deep draft terminal, to be built at a cost of Rs 4, 500 crore at Deendayal Port Authority in Gujarat. This latest greenfield terminal will be developed in PPP mode. The terminal will handle next-gen vessels exceeding 18,000 x 20-foot equivalent units, TEUs, and will act as a gateway for Indian trade via the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor. Modi also dedicated 300 Memoranda of Understanding worth RS 7 lakh crore rupees for global and national partnership in the maritime sector, during the programme.

Cathay Cargo joined hands with the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and the Airport Authority Hong Kong (AAHK) for the first time to offer ONE Record data protocols for intermodal sea-to-air shipments accepted at the Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) Logistics Park in Dongguan for export from Hong Kong. IATA’s ONE Record initiative implements end-to-end transparency for consignments and logging progress as they pass through multiple links in the supply chain. Tom Owen, Director, Cathay Cargo, said, “This pilot also showed ONE Record’s flexibility, and being able to accept cargo from an upstream cargo terminal and then log its transit by boat was a world first. It also shows ONE Record’s value in enabling services such as Ultra Track and other use cases that we are continuing to explore.

Mumbai based Maritime Energy Heli Air Services (MEHAIR) has signed an order for fifty, electrically powered regional amphibious aircraft PHA-ZE 100 with Switzerland based Jekta. (MEHAIR) has inked a deal with deposits agreed for ten firm orders and options for 40 more. With this agreement, MEHAIR will be the first customer to receive the aircraft in Asia, with initial deliveries starting in 2029. It is anticipated that the first ten aircraft will be delivered in baseline configuration for 19 passengers to support regional connectivity. The company has made a decisive move In line with the global trends to move toward sustainable aviation by placing orders for Jekta’s electrically powered aircraft. “We know the Jekta team’s heritage for producing efficient amphibious aircraft, and having been introduced to its electrically powered PHA-ZE 100, we made a decisive move to acquire these aircraft early, showing our deep commitment towards greener technology. We want to be one of the first operators in the world to update its fleet with a zero emissions aircraft to support regional flights between land and water infrastructure,” says Siddharth Verma, Director of MEHAIR. “Blessed with a 7,400 km long coastline and a rich diversity of rivers, lakes, backwaters and dams, India is readying for the upcoming amphibious aircraft revolution. It is both the fastest-growing aviation market as well as the single largest untapped seaplane geography in the world, and the PHA-ZE 100 checks all the boxes for meeting this upcoming seaplane potential. The next 25 years will be as much a seaplane era as it will be for general aviation in India. The PHA-ZE 100 has enhanced operating parameters, which lend strong value to our proposed operations and vision …

Adani Ports handled rail cargo of over 120 million metric tonnes (MMT), the highest ever, in the 2022-23 financial year and generated a record revenue of ₹ 14,000 crore for Railways, the company said in a statement. The volume of cargo handled by Adani Ports surpassed its previous best of 98.61 MMT in 2021-22, with a year-to-year growth of 22 per cent. Gujarat’s Mundra Port, operated by Adani Ports & Special Economic Zone Limited (APSEZ), handled 15,000 container trains, cementing its position as India’s EXIM gateway. In 2022-23, double-stack container trains handled by Mundra Port grew by 4.3 per cent year-to-year. “Double stack loading of containers on trains ensures transportation in an energy efficient and reliable manner, reducing overall per unit cost and improving customer satisfaction. This demonstrates Mundra Port’s commitment to environmentally friendly operations,” the company said. “The use of rail transport reduces the carbon footprint of freight transport, and the efficient handling of container trains reduces the need for additional truck transport, further reducing carbon emissions,” it added.

Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal inaugurated the National Logistics Portal (marine) in New Delhi. It is a one-stop platform aimed at connecting all the stakeholders of the logistics community using IT. The National Logistic Portal (marine) (NLP) is a project of national importance. This will improve efficiency and transparency by reducing costs and promote the growth of the logistics sector. National Logistics Portal will be a single window for all trade processes of the logistics sector spread across the country covering all modes of transport in the waterways, roadways, and airways to provide a seamless end-to-end logistic service coverage.

The state government will soon prepare Odisha Maritime Perspective Plan (OMPP) and Odisha Ports Capacity Augmentation Plan (OPCAP) as part of its newly formulated Port Policy 2022 for the development of ports and improving cargo handling capacities. Both OMPP and OPCAP would be prepared after studying the maritime ecosystem involving ports, hinterland potential, cargo evacuation, port connectivity, environmental enhancement and development of the coastal communities, said official reports. Odisha handled around 160 MTPA of cargo in 2021-22, with the major port of Paradip handling the lion’s share at 116 MTPA. While the focus is to establish newer ports to cater to the increasing cargo volume, equal importance will be accorded to augment the cargo handling capacities of the existing and proposed ports. As per the reports, the state government has already identified 14 potential sites for the development of non-major ports, of which Dhamra and Gopalpur are already functioning. The new policy will facilitate private developers for the development of such non-major ports.