Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority logs record growth in container traffic

Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority (JNPA) on Monday said it has logged a record growth in container traffic at 6.05 million TEUs (Twenty-foot equivalent units) in FY23, a growth of 6.4 per cent over the year earlier.

Total container traffic at the port in the fiscal year that ended March 31, 2022, was recorded at 5.68 million TEUs.

The total traffic handled at the port during the just-concluded fiscal year stood at 83.86 MMT, which is 10.35 per cent higher than 76 MMT traffic handled for the same period of last year.

"This proves our commitment towards making the Port a perfect getaway for EXIM trade. It is a token of port's consistent efforts and commitment to providing best services to our clients," said Sanjay Sethi, Chairman, JNPA.

The port during the year also handled 6,504 container rakes and 1,022,951 TEUs as compared to 6,278 rakes and 1,008,079 TEUs during corresponding period of FY22, JNPA said.

Sethi said that the container traffic at the port is expected to log 6.5 per cent growth this fiscal.

"Despite the signs of slow down, and Europe right now is also hitting some kind of slowdown which might impact us in some way sooner or later, we have shown more than the normal growth," he said.

"Our demand and both our exports and imports have continuously grown," he added.

He said that the port created capacity four years ago and this has helped it achieve record growth. The Jawaharlal Nehru Port has five terminals, which have now been privatized.

Out of the total containerised traffic 1,714,246 TEUs were handled at BMCT, 1,096,954 TEUs at NSICT, 1,846,920 TEUs at APMT, 1,137,034 TEUs at NSIGT, 205,907 TEUs at JNPCT and 49,707 TEUs at NSFT, according to the release.

During Mar-2023, JNPA handled 560 container rakes and 90,043 TEUs as compared to 566 rakes and 91,448 TEUs in Mar-2022. During April-2022 to Mar-2023, JNPA handled 6,504 container rakes and 1,022,951 TEUs as compared to 6,278 rakes and 1,008,079 TEUs during corresponding period in the previous financial year.

The port during the year also handled 6,504 container rakes and 1,022,951 TEUs as compared to 6,278 rakes and 1,008,079 TEUs during corresponding period of FY22, JNPA said.

"We are getting enough traffic also because of the capacity that we were able to create about four years back. Today, we are no longer considered a port which does not have capacity or a congested port. Apart from that, all the terminals put together have really shown some big efficiency and even in the productivity or efficiency (such as dwell time and turnaround time) performance indicators we are comparable with the best of ports in the world, Sethi said.

According to him, the port has also started leveraging the private sector efficiency, with the private players who have been operating 50-60 terminals globally, attracting more traffic.

They can get more shipping lines, get more cargo, more traffic, and it has started showing on the overall performance, he said.

On the Port-led SEZ, Sethi said that some 33 units have secured all the clearances and the SEZ has still about 100 hectares or some 250 acres of land left for bidding, which will go as per the requirement and depending upon the market conditions.