As it celebrated 30 wonderful years of successful operations, Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT), now led by Mr Sanjay Sethi, IAS, as Chairman, continues to grow from strength in volumes and all other respects as it consolidates its position as India’s No. 1 container handling facility and port for international trade.
After 2018-19’s record 5.13 million TEUs, crossing the 5-million TEU mark for the first time, JN Port lost no time in beginning the new fiscal on a high note by handling 4.31 lakh TEUs of container traffic in April 2019. This was 3.90 per cent more than the throughput handled in the corresponding month of the previous fiscal.
The port also showed its prowess in handling non-containerised cargo, registering an all-time high bulk cargo throughput of 8.5 million tonnes in 2018-19. This was a 5.58 per cent increase over 2017-18.
Its total overall throughput was over 70 million tonnes in the just-concluded fiscal, inclusive of bulk and liquid.
In December 2018 alone, it had handled 4.45 lakh TEUs, the highest volume of containers handled in a single month at the port.
Ease of doing business initiatives of the port have also found favour with the trade. In March 2019, it routed more than half of its container traffic, at 51.75 per cent, through Direct Port Delivery (DPD) services. This will significantly enhance port operational efficiency and cut time and cost for the ex-im community.
As regards another facilitation, till date over 7 lakh trucks have completed more than 9 lakh transactions through inter-terminal transfer of tractor trailer (ITT) services since the start of the service.
Besides, it is the only Indian container port to be listed amongst the Top 30 container ports globally, as per the recent Lloyds Report. JNPT notched up five spots, to be 28th on the list, compared to its previous ranking.
JNPT has also launched its App service to facilitate better tracking and ease the trade process for its ex-im partners. The App will allow traders to access all the relevant information about their consignment and port-related updates regarding traffic and weather, on their fingertips. The App will keep updating the relevant information at regular intervals so that traders are abreast with the latest updates. It is available on Android and iOS.
Besides, as part of the effort to automate procedures and digitalise processes, JN Port has discontinued Manual Form 13 and Form 11 and now has e-versions. It also has RFID-enabled gate automation systems in order to provide faster and efficient entry/exit for container trucks.
And it plans to further enhance efficiency with the addition of 3 mobile scanners and a drive through scanner equipped with the latest technology.
Looking ahead, JNPT is already on a major expansion drive with some key projects like the ongoing work on the second phase of the mega 4th terminal, developing a centralised parking plaza, improving the port-connecting roads, widening of highways and development of coastal berth. The port is also implementing specific processes at the operational level to make it standardised and more efficient across terminals, among many other initiatives in the pipeline.
India is gaining precedence as a favourable trade destination and the initiatives at JNPT have been credited for helping the country improve its position in the World Bank Ranking in trading across the borders from 146 to 80, a jump of 66.
A port communiqué on the occasion of completing 30 glorious years of continuous growth and excellence to serve the maritime industry, thanked all the stakeholders and the ex-im community for extending their support that enabled JN Port to achieve its goals.
It emphasised that this three-decade journey has seen innumerable milestones and success stories, facilitating the port to handle over 50 per cent of the total container traffic among all major Indian ports.
