CARGOCONNECT-JUNE2026 - Flipbook - Page 35
MARITIME LOGISTICS : FOCUS
ments across shipping infrastructure and maritime
capability-building are also supporting India’s longterm positioning ambitions. Chandna notes, “With
enhanced port and shipping infrastructure and a
focus on building shipbuilding capability, India is
well-positioned to strengthen its maritime heft and
self-reliance as well as global linkages. Over the next
decade, India can emerge as a global maritime hub on
the back of several growth-focussed policy measures
and sustained execution.”
However, the evolution from a large cargo-handling
nation into a globally in昀氀uential maritime hub will
depend heavily on how effectively India integrates
ports with inland logistics and industrial ecosystems.
As Kaushik explains, “Over the next decade, India is
likely to position itself as a reliable alternative hub in
South Asia, especially as global supply chains look to
diversify beyond traditional centres.”
At the same time, he cautions, “Competing with
established hubs like Singapore or Dubai will require
consistent policy execution and scale.”
“The opportunity is real, but it will depend on how
well India integrates its ports, hinterland connectivity,
and logistics ecosystem into a seamless network,”
Kaushik puts across.
gains come when these are connected with customs,
inland logistics and regulatory systems.”
This need for ecosystem-wide integration is also
encouraging the development of cross-border digital trade
frameworks aimed at simplifying cargo movement and
improving visibility across stakeholders. Highlighting
one such initiative, Itty points to the Virtual Trade
Corridor (VTC) between India and the UAE, and notes,
“By bringing multiple processes onto a single digital
platform, they reduce friction and improve visibility
for all stakeholders.”
Evidently, the emphasis on integrated digital ecosystems is becoming increasingly important as India attempts
to strengthen its positioning as a regional logistics and
transshipment hub. “Going forward, competitiveness
will depend less on individual assets and more on how
well the entire ecosystem is integrated,” Itty says.
Parallel capacity enhancements across container
freight stations and inland cargo infrastructure are also
playing a critical role in supporting cargo-昀氀ow e昀케ciency.
Chandna explains, “Enhancing capacity at CFSs and ICDs
leads to signi昀椀cant throughput capacity augmentation
which adds agility to the EXIM trade movements in
the form of faster clearance and turnaround cycles.”
This is particularly signi昀椀cant at large gateway ports
SMART TERMINALS AND
INTEGRATED LOGISTICS NODES
REINFORCING HUB ASPIRATIONS
With cargo volumes expanding and global shipping
networks increasingly prioritising predictability, visibility, and multimodal connectivity, India is gradually
moving beyond standalone port expansion toward
the development of smart terminals and integrated
logistics ecosystems. Across gateway ports, Container
Freight Stations (CFSs), hinterland logistics nodes
such as Inland Container Depots (ICDs), and digital
trade platforms, the focus is steadily shifting toward
synchronised operations capable of supporting faster
cargo movement, lower dwell times, and greater supply
chain reliability.
Stakeholders across the maritime ecosystem increasingly acknowledge that long-term competitiveness will
depend not only on expanding physical capacity, but on
connecting operational systems across ports, customs,
inland logistics, and regulatory networks.
From a terminal-operations perspective, Itty explains,
“Modernising terminals is essential, but it is only one
part of the larger picture. Real e昀케ciency comes when the
entire logistics chain works in synchronised manner.”
This re昀氀ects a broader industry shift where operational gains are increasingly being measured at the
ecosystem level rather than at individual infrastructure
assets alone. As Itty notes, “Ports sit at the centre of
global trade and even incremental improvements at
the terminal level can have a meaningful impact across
supply chains.”
The growing deployment of automation, digital
systems, and terminal-capacity enhancement is already
improving execution consistency across major gateways.
Itty explains, “Although these advancements are helping
improve turnaround times and predictability, the real
Recently, we have doubled
the cargo handling capacity
at our JNPT CFS facility to
3,60,000 TEUs. As JNPT
handles over 50% of the
country’s containerised
cargo, due to its deeper
hinterland connectivity,
CFSs with enhanced cargo
processing capacity keep
the EXIM trade moving at a
steady pace.
CAPT. ASHISH CHANDNA
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, ALLCARGO TERMINALS
93%
37 to 87
increase
recorded in
port handling
capacity
PPP projects
expanded
across maritime
infrastructure
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