Central govt's port monetisation drive delayed on security clearance

05 May 2022 CW Team

The Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW) has been able to award projects worth only 14 per cent of the target amount in 2021-22. The ministry has been able to monetise three projects worth approximately Rs 1,000 crore, falling significantly short of the target of Rs 6,924 crore from 13 projects for this fiscal year. According to NITI Aayog, the national monetisation pipeline (NMP) for the sector encompasses nine of India’s 12 major ports.

Awarding of contracts for these projects can only take place after obtaining separate security clearances from the Ministry of Defence, Ministry of External Affairs, and Ministry of Home Affairs, as the projects fall in strategic areas. As per government regulations, the final security clearance accorded to a bidder is typically valid for five years.

The 13 projects include big-ticket items like development of western dock captive berth at Paradip Port for Rs 3,000 crore, leasing out of a container terminal at Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT) for Rs 863 crore, and operations and management (O&M) of Mumbai International Cruise Terminal for Rs 495 crore.

According to the NMP plan released by NITI Aayog, the central government plans to monetise 31 cargo berths valued at Rs 12,828 crore by the end of 2024-25, accounting for 2 per cent of the overarching monetisation target of Rs 6 trillion. The shipping ministry is also understood to have tweaked its monetisation targets for this fiscal year in view of the shortfall in FY22, which will be on the agenda in the upcoming apex committee meeting of the ministry’s flagship Sagarmala plan.

The NMP lays out port assets worth Rs 4,680 crore in FY23, Rs 915 crore in FY24, and Rs 1940 crore in FY25 for leasing out to private entities. The contracts will be awarded for a 30-year period and actual capital investment is likely to happen in phases during the initial years in the envisaged concession period.

Technology

29 Jul 2026

AI-Enabled Workflows Lift Profitability and Productivity

Organisations modernising frontline workflows with artificial intelligence, automation and real-time data are reporting stronger financial performance, higher productivity and improved employee engagement, according to a global study by Zebra Technologies and Oxford Economics.The research covered 1,000 senior leaders across retail, manufacturing, transportation and logistics in the US, Mexico, the UK, Germany, India, Japan, Australia and New Zealand.In transportation and logistics, 54 per cent of companies that improved picking and packing operations reported faster operational performance, wh..

India Leads Global AI Readiness but Implementation Lags

Indian companies lead global averages across all eight artificial intelligence readiness indicators tracked by JLL, but only 19 per cent have started making changes to their workplaces, according to the JLL 2026 Future of Work Survey.The study found that 77 per cent of Indian business leaders expect AI to change their office requirements, creating a 58-percentage-point gap between awareness and implementation. The survey covered more than 2,200 CEOs, CFOs and real estate leaders across 21 countries during the first quarter of 2026.Despite concerns over automation, 58 per cent of Indian leaders..

Three WOLFF Cranes Build Riyadh Cable-Stayed Bridges

Three WOLFF 180 B luffing jib cranes are supporting the construction of two cable-stayed bridges alongside the existing Wadi Laban Bridge in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The project is being developed for the Royal Commission for Riyadh City and executed by the ICRC joint venture comprising IC Ictas and Al Rashid Trading & Contracting Company.The cranes are handling lifting operations including formwork, reinforcement, concrete placement, work platforms, surveying equipment and other construction materials. Each crane is fitted with a 40 m jib, reaches a hook height of 157 m and offers a maximum ..