The economic turmoil in Colombo and the recent developments of shipping lines skipping the Colombo port have opened up new opportunities that can catapult ports in south India to a faster pace of growth if tapped at the right time, according to experts in the shipping sector. It is time for the sector here to quickly grab the window of opportunities which will often be short, according to them.
Speaking to The Hindu, K. Mohandas, former Union Shipping Secretary, said “there should not be any delay in enticing mainland shipping lines to the southern coast, tapping into the fear of exporters and importers. India’s exporters and importers have been routing around 3 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) a year through Colombo and other ports outside the country. At least, half of this can be brought back to the Indian shores if policy-level interventions are made at the right time,” said Mr. Mohandas.
