The Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT), India’s premiere container port that got listed amongst the top 30 container ports globally, as per the latest Lloyds Report, recently hosted delegates from the Bombay Chamber of Commerce & Industry (BCCI) with the objective to facilitate a dialogue with the end customers and showcase the various Ease of Doing Business (EoDB) initiatives by the port which will significantly aid in their logistics cost reduction.
Unmesh Sharad Wagh, IRS, Deputy Chairman at JNPT explained the overall port operations to the delegates and the initiatives undertaken by the port for the benefit of the trade, followed by a detailed presentation highlighting the strategic initiatives like Direct Port Delivery (DPD) and Direct Port Entry (DPE) undertaken by the port.
DPD has expedited prompt and timely delivery leading to reduction in inventory costs, saving in transportation costs, handling and storage charges at warehouse, and reduction in dwell time for containerised cargo. This tactical initiative is making a significant impact on the end users by enabling savings in cost ranging from Rs 8,000 to 20,000 per TEU and time saving ranging from 5-7 days, said a release.
JNPT has also introduced DPE, a facility created exclusively for exporters to bring in their export containers directly to the port instead of routing it through Container Freight Stations (CFSs). This is saving about 1-2 days of time, which in turn is enabling cost savings of about Rs 2,000 per TEU, as per the release.
To further accelerate the trade and provide quick solutions to customers, measures such as Inter Terminal movement of Tractor Trailers (ITT) and Inter-terminal rail handling operation (ITRHO) have been taken up by the port to match trends and drivers in the global maritime sector. ITT and ITRHO have streamlined the movement of containers between the terminals; it has helped reduce the overall import dwell time by 32.8 per cent from 55.55 hours (April-January 2019) to 37.33 hours from (April-January) 2020. It has benefited transporters/users by reducing the turnaround time of trucks, thereby increasing number of trips between CFSs and port terminals. The cost of handling is also reduced and hence more containers can be moved in less time. This also helps in the optimal use of TTs, thereby easing traffic on the JNPT approach roads.
The delegates were also apprised about the various tech-based initiatives like E-form 13/Form 11, JNPT mobile app, RFID-based terminal Automated Gate System (AGS), RFID-based container tracking system by DMICDC (for the first time in India), e-delivery of orders, upgradation of the port community system (PCS) to PCS 1x and the Terminal Operating System which has added to the ease of doing business at the port.
The session concluded with a port visit allowing the delegates see the available infrastructure and the ongoing capacity-building projects contributing to the overall maritime trade, the release added.
