A multidisciplinary support desk for exporters has been established by the government as one of several actions it has chosen to take in order to guarantee the quicker and more seamless transit of export consignments from Indian ports.
To facilitate the speedier and more seamless movement of export consignments, help desks would be erected at sea ports and traffic at JNPA (Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority), the nation’s largest container handling port, will be cleared of congestion. Officials from the ministry of trade and industry met with representatives from the shipping and cargo sectors, including a number of government secretaries, to make these judgments.
The purpose of the meeting was to address the concerns expressed by importers and exporters over delays at ports caused by procedural problems and the availability of containers for shipping. Following the meeting, Piyush Goyal, the minister of trade and industry, stated on X that the main goal was to comprehend and address problems that importers and exporters in the shipping and cargo sector were facing.
It was resolved at the meeting that major ports would host a “multidisciplinary help desk” to assist exporters with all of their issues. Additionally, the ministry of commerce will permit the storage of empty containers in the JNPA yard after consulting with the ministry of ports, shipping, and waterways.
In order to help traders, the meeting also assessed the state of affairs at the ports and decided to lower the handling and loading expenses of empty containers by the Container Corporation of India Ltd. (CONCOR). Additionally, it made the decision to reduce traffic jams in and around JNPA in order to improve export-related procedures and expedite consignment clearance. At JNPA, simultaneous container scanning would also be possible, resulting in quicker clearances and shorter turnaround times.
To promote trade and commerce, the shipping ministry is now upgrading and updating the infrastructure at all its principal ports. The government intends to further cut the ship turnaround time at ports so that it is less than a day. Currently, it is only about 48 hours.
In order to manage the expanding commerce, additional container terminals and transshipment facilities are being erected at ports. In order for some of India’s largest ports to become megaports and rank among the top 10 ports worldwide, port capacity is also being increased.
In order to guarantee exporters a supply of containers, the government is developing a production linked incentive (PLI) program for the container manufacturing industry.
Shipping secretary T.K. Ramachandran believes that self-sufficiency in containers will support the Atma Nirbhar Bharat plan and stimulate local industry. It will also guarantee trade’s unlimited availability, regardless of global conditions.
