Cargo handling at JNPT grows 7.4% to 4.8 mln TEUs in FY18

Country's largest container port JNPT today said there was a 7.4 per cent uptick in its cargo handling in fiscal year 2017-18 to a highest ever 4.8 million standard 20-foot units (TEUs).

In the last fiscal, the gateway port located off the eastern water front of the financial capital that accounts for nearly half of the total container movements in the country, had handled 4.5 million TEUs of containers, an official statement said.

Of the five terminals, Gateway Terminal handled 2.03 million TEUs, port-owned JNPCT handled 1.48 million TEUs, NSIGT and NSICT together handled 1.30 million TEUs, while the newly-opened BMCTPL did 23,212 TEUs, it said.

It can be noted that competition for container handling has intensified over the last few years with the entry and expansion of the Mundra Port in Gujarat.

The state-run JNPT has been concentrating on services in order to maintain and grow client relationships. The share of direct port delivery, one such service targeted at the importers primarily, in the total volume handled grew to 39.15 per cent, it said.

The volume of liquid cargo handled during the financial year from its lone terminal grew nearly 6 per cent to 7.18 million tonnes, it said.