New Delhi, July 20: India is rapidly advancing the upgrade of major ports and the construction of new deep-water terminals. This initiative aims to attract transshipment traffic that currently flows through Colombo and Singapore. A recent report highlights this development.
According to India Narrative, the government is increasing the draft depth of several key ports, including the Kamarajar Port near Chennai, Paradip Port in Odisha, and the Deendayal Port in Kutch, from 14 meters to 18 meters. This enhancement will enable them to accommodate larger “mother vessels.”
The arrival of the world’s largest container ship, MSC Irina, at the Vizhinjam Port in Kerala is seen as a significant step in this direction.
The report indicates that previous administrations overlooked the development of India’s major ports as international transshipment hubs. Such hubs are essential because they can accommodate mother vessels with a capacity ranging from 14,000 to 24,000 TEUs (Twenty-foot Equivalent Units).
It stated, “For decades, there has been an irony in India’s maritime trade. Despite having a coastline of over 7,500 kilometers and being located along some of the world’s busiest shipping routes, India lacked ports capable of handling mother vessels.”
According to the report, within a year of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government pledging to address this deficiency, the MSC Irina arrived at the Vizhinjam Port on July 7.
This long-standing neglect is now being addressed with the urgency and scale that the problem demands.
Under the current government plan, the draft depth of several key ports is being increased to handle Cape-size dry bulk carriers weighing approximately 200,000 tons deadweight.
The report further notes that the Vadavan Port being developed in Maharashtra is being designed with a natural depth of about 20 meters and aims for high capacity. Once completed, it could rank among the top 10 container transshipment hubs globally.
Additionally, Gujarat’s Mundra Port, developed in the private sector with a draft depth of 17.5 meters, has already demonstrated this capacity. It is the only port in India from which container ships with a capacity exceeding 14,000 TEUs can directly depart for the United States, eliminating the need for intermediate transshipment hubs.
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