As a lot of container ship cargo was being diverted to nearby foreign ports due to depth restrictions at Indian ports, President Droupadi Murmu on Friday, called for efficiency in the merchant and civilian shipbuilding industries and for operational efficiency and turnaround times, at Indian ports.
Delivering her address for the eighth convocation of the Indian Maritime University (IMU) in Chennai, the President said before the country could completely exploit the potential of the maritime sector, it would have to overcome several challenges. The operational efficiency of Indian ports needed to match global average benchmarks.
“India does not figure in the top 20 nations when it comes to the annual port calls. In the list of 50 best container ports worldwide, we only have two. The Indian ports must address infrastructural and operational challenges before they graduate to the next level. The majority of our fishing fleet is yet to be mechanised,” she said.
