Kolkata Port turnaround now a IIM-A case study

The Indian Institute of Management - Ahmedabad (IIM-A) has selected the case of turnaround of Kolkata Port Trust (KoPT) as a lesson in their academic programme as a case study ‘Kolkata Port: The story of turnaround’ for the management students.

According to a press release issued by KoPT, this is a rare honour for KoPT, since the port for the first time was selected by a premier management institute to teach their students about the change in management and strategies for growth at Kolkata Port Trust.

IIM-A’s case study emphasised the leadership style and corporate strategies adopted by A K Chanda, chairman, Kolkata Port Trust,said the release .

Around 2001-02, KoPT had been passing through a very difficult stage. One of its docks, Khidderpore Dock II, had been closed down. Traffic handling at the port was stagnating at around 30 million tonnes. Vessel turnaround time was so high that the trade was increasingly avoiding import and export through the Kolkata port.