New Delhi: In a significant boost to India's port development programme, as many as nine ports of India made it to the Global Top 100 in the latest edition of the Container Port Performance Index (CPPI), 2023 - a report prepared by the World Bank and S&P Global Marketing Intelligence.

The Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Sarbananda Sonowal gave credit to the ambitious Sagarmala programme, envisioned by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, for modernisation of the ports and improving their efficiency.

Speaking on the occasion, Union Minister Sonowal said, "This is a tremendous achievement for the Indian ports and is a testament to the efforts taken by the Narendra Modi Government to modernise, mechanise and make them technologically savvy to improve performance and enhance efficiency. There has been a significant improvement via operational efficiency and service delivery in the efficient handling of ships and cargo"

He thanked the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and said that we have been able to work to improve the efficiency of our ports through path-breaking ambitious initiatives like Sagarmala.
"This has helped us build resilience, incorporate new technology, and green infrastructure to ensure the stability of global markets and sustainability of India's maritime industry. With sustained effort in this regard, we are confident that the Indian maritime sector will further improve resilience and efficiency of Maritime gateways and boost port-led economic development," he added.

Vishakhapatnam Port has showcased strong performance with 27.5 moves per crane hour, a turnaround time (TRT) of 21.4 hours, and minimal berth idle time.

These metrics highlight the port's efficiency in handling container ships and significantly influence customer preference, the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways stated.

Seven other Indian ports, that secured ranks in the top 100, are Pipavav (41), Kamarajar (47), Cochin (63), Hazira (68), Krishnapatnam (71), Chennai (80) and Jawaharlal Nehru (96).

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