An ambitious project to modernise and streamline operations at two container berths located in the Netaji Subhash Dock of the Kolkata Dock System (KDS) is underway at Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port, Kolkata (SMPK). The plan entails reconstructing and mechanising the designated berths within a tight two-year timeframe, with a targeted investment exceeding Rs 8 billion under a public-private partnership (PPP) model. Approval for the redevelopment of berth No. 8 alongside the mechanisation of berths No. 7 and 8 at the Netaji Subhash Dock was recently granted by the Ministry of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways. PM Modi ceremonially laid the foundation stone for the project on 1st March. According to Rathendra Raman, chairman of SMPK, these initiatives are integral parts of the government's broader strategy to bolster container and cargo handling capacities while advancing SMPK's mechanisation. Raman indicated that tenders for the projects have already been floated, and plans are to conclude the tendering process and award the projects within the next three months. The projects are slated to operate under a 'design, build, finance, operate, and transfer' (DBFOT) framework. Upon completion, the container handling capacity of berths No. 7 and 8 at Netaji Subhash Dock will surge to 0.48 million TEUs, with potential for further expansion to 0.78 million TEUs. Three rail-mounted quay cranes are anticipated to curtail ship detention times at the dock, thereby enhancing operational efficiency. Sagarmala Initiative: SMPK, previously known as Kolkata Port Trust, comprises the Kolkata Dock System (KDS) and Haldia Dock Complex. Collectively, SMPK boasts a cargo handling capacity of approximately 87.5 million tonnes (MT). Port authorities have set their sights on elevating this capacity to 115 MT by 2030 through a portfolio of 15 PPP projects. Three projects, valued at Rs 73.3 billion, have already been contracted, while the remaining projects, totalling around Rs 52 billion, are in various stages of development. In West Bengal, the Sagarmala programme, which fosters port-led infrastructure development, oversees a portfolio of 62 projects valued at Rs 163 billion. Of these, 19 projects, valued at approximately Rs 110 billion, have reached completion, with the remainder progressing through different stages of implementation.