Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority (JNPA) is adopting artificial intelligence and digital initiatives to drive efficiency as it targets 10 percent growth in container traffic in the coming financial year.
Container traffic has grown over 13.6 percent, with JNPA port handling 7 million twenty-foot containers in the current fiscal year. It is expected to close the year with a throughput of 7.25 million tonnes.
While rationalising charges and improving turnaround time have helped growth, JNPA port chairman Unmesh Sharad Wagh said on Tuesday that the port is targeting further efficiency by adopting new technologies such as artificial intelligence, digital solutions, and a truck appointment system.
“Our terminal operators are doing an excellent job, and the collaborative efforts across the port ecosystem have contributed to the success,” Wagh said.
The port’s terminals are undergoing an expansion, increasing their capacity to over 10 million TEUs annually. A TEU is a twenty-foot equivalent unit that measures cargo handling capacity at ports.
Wagh expects JNPA to handle ten million containers in four years. The port’s investment in an agro-processing facility and its special economic zone are expected to push growth. The dedicated freight corridor will bring in more freight from the hinterland.
Wagh said that work on the planned Vadhvan port in North Maharashtra is ahead of schedule. Contract for near shore reclamation has been awarded and is expected to be completed in 18-24 months. Similarly, tenders for further reclamation and breakwater will be issued in two months.
