India is one of the most attractive contemporary economic investment destinations and has emerged as a preferred hub for global trade activities. The port sector is India’s vital economic driver as it gears ahead to achieve the target of above 3.2 billion tonnes in capacity by 2020, as per the shipping ministry plan which focuses on adopting efficient technologies and enhancing the scope for private participation. With a coastline of more than 7,500 kilometres and with more than 190 ports, the country’s maritime activities play a vital role in leveraging the economic growth index. The country presently has 12 major ports and about 190 non-major ports across its vast coastline. The favourable locations and availability of a long coastline makes India a prime destination for executing maritime economic activities. The increasing importance attached to maritime economic activities has further led to the development of cargo and container terminals in the country. However, the constantly increasing volume of global trade and the inflow of economic activities towards India have reinforced the need for advanced and efficient infrastructure facilities at the country’s ports. Aiming to meet the challenge of globally expanding maritime trade activities, the modernisation of ports is being upheld as an aspect of vital importance by the governing bodies, as well as the private port operators. The push to equip the ports with advanced technologies and equipments to achieve operational efficiency has opened the doors for private players in the country’s port sector. Exploring these opportunities, the government also widely promotes the concept of public-private partnership (PPP) models for the development and operation of ports and terminals in India.
The sector has today opened …
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