Indian Maritime Sector: Sustainability & Efficiency

Mumbai, Sep 25 (PTI) India's maritime sector has set new benchmarks in sustainability and efficiency, in line with the global developments, Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal said on Thursday.

The Ports, Shipping and Waterways Minister also flagged off India's first fleet of electric heavy trucks with swappable batteries at the Nhava Sheva Distribution Terminal in Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority (JNPA).

With the development, JNPA now has the largest EV truck fleet among India's ports, boosting sustainable logistics, an official statement said.

JNPA aims to convert 90 per cent of its internal heavy truck fleet of about 600 vehicles by December 2026, it added.

Highlighting the government's vision, Sonowal said, "Across India, ports are introducing solar and wind power projects, LNG and hydrogen fuel infrastructure, and electrification of cargo handling equipment".

In recent months, he said JNPA has consistently been in the news for the right reasons -- be it ranking among the top 25 ports globally in the World Bank's CPPI index, achieving records in container handling, or advancing key projects in the SEZ, digitalisation, and green energy.

JNPA Chairperson Unmesh Sharad Wagh said, "As custodians of India's largest container port, it is incumbent upon us to embrace innovation that reconciles economic dynamism with ecological responsibility".

This fleet of EV trucks will serve as harbingers of a new era, wherein sustainability is not an adjunct to growth, but its very foundation, he added.