At a formal event led by Shri Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister of Road Transport, Highways and Shipping in the presence of Shri Anil Desai, Member of Rajya Sabhain Mumbai, India’s top container terminal Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT), have recently signed a letter of intent (LoI) with major UK ports operator, Peel Ports, who own the Port of Liverpool.
UK-based Peel Ports has recently received massive support from local residents for its 20-year growth strategy for the Port of Sheerness.
The LoI, which is the first association between ports in the two countries, was signed by Shri Neeraj Bansal, Chairman of JNPT with Peel Ports Mark Whitworth CEO of Peel Ports.
Under the LoI, JNPT and Peel Ports have agreed to foster the exchange of information and expertise on port operations, port management and hinterland connections.
They will also develop a series of modules in education and training of port operators, IT systems, traffic and trade between Liverpool and Mumbai.
Union Minister for Shipping, Shri Nitin Gadkari, said: “We recognise the importance of the historical bilateral interchange between our two countries as major industrial and commercial partners. There is immense strategic and economic value in our mutual collaboration to propel economic growth in each of our countries.
“This strategic alliance between these two major ports will drive more efficient movement of goods and will build on our common objective of establishing optimal port performance.”
Shri Neeraj Bansal, Chairman JNPT said: “JNPT being the premier container port of India, carries additional responsibility to bring in more efficiency and economy to the exim trade. This new initiative of entering into mutual collaboration with international ports is a path breaking initiative of Ministry of Shipping to create more synergy with the international port community.”
Mark Whitworth said: “The UK and India are natural partners to collaborate and learn from one another. We are facing many similar challenges in supply chain distribution and connectivity.
“At Peel Ports, we are realising our own ambitious plans in the creation of Liverpool2, a US$469 million container terminal that will allow some of the world’s largest vessels to call closer to the heart of the UK marketplace.”
JNPT currently operates three container terminals, two of which are operated by private companies and a fourth is under construction.
The UK is already the biggest G20 ‘maker’ in India. In 2014, the UK invested $3.2 billion in India, accounting for almost 10% of all foreign direct investment flows into India, more than the second and third largest G20 investors into India combined.
(Source: Peel Ports)