Government Acts to Ease Congestion at Jawaharlal Nehru Port

26 May 2026 CW Team

The meeting focused on congestion that delayed evacuation of 25,000 containers of import cargo and prompted a range of operational interventions by JNPA. Containers were moved by rail to nearby CFSs with railway sidings and double container scanning was introduced to reduce processing time, while selected terminal charges were waived and discounts on ground rent were extended on a case by case basis.

Dedicated green channels for empty trailers were established across terminals to speed turnaround and leading CFS operators pooled nearly 100 trailers to lift entire container stacks for evacuation. These steps materially improved yard management and reduced the number of containers lying at terminals for more than 14 days, and measures are being explored to allow importers direct access to terminal yards and to match export trailers with import loads.

As part of a longer term resilience plan, JNPA has outlined actions to increase driver availability, boost cargo evacuation by rail and engage motor driving training schools to build a larger pool of trained trailer drivers. The authority is also planning a gradual transition to electric vehicles to improve operational sustainability and driver comfort, introducing a Truck Appointment System and encouraging terminals to deploy additional handling equipment.

Officials indicated that coordinated action will continue alongside stakeholder engagement to strengthen supply chain resilience and maintain trade facilitation. The measures are presented as part of a broader effort to build a more efficient, future ready maritime ecosystem aligned with national development priorities.

The Government has initiated a coordinated Whole of Government response to ease port congestion at the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority (JNPA) after a shortage of trailer drivers at Container Freight Stations (CFS) disrupted cargo movement. Union Ministers Piyush Goyal and Sarbananda Sonowal reviewed the situation with Export-Import (EXIM) stakeholders and outlined immediate and longer term measures to sustain Ease of Doing Business. The meeting focused on congestion that delayed evacuation of 25,000 containers of import cargo and prompted a range of operational interventions by JNPA. Containers were moved by rail to nearby CFSs with railway sidings and double container scanning was introduced to reduce processing time, while selected terminal charges were waived and discounts on ground rent were extended on a case by case basis. Dedicated green channels for empty trailers were established across terminals to speed turnaround and leading CFS operators pooled nearly 100 trailers to lift entire container stacks for evacuation. These steps materially improved yard management and reduced the number of containers lying at terminals for more than 14 days, and measures are being explored to allow importers direct access to terminal yards and to match export trailers with import loads. As part of a longer term resilience plan, JNPA has outlined actions to increase driver availability, boost cargo evacuation by rail and engage motor driving training schools to build a larger pool of trained trailer drivers. The authority is also planning a gradual transition to electric vehicles to improve operational sustainability and driver comfort, introducing a Truck Appointment System and encouraging terminals to deploy additional handling equipment. Officials indicated that coordinated action will continue alongside stakeholder engagement to strengthen supply chain resilience and maintain trade facilitation. The measures are presented as part of a broader effort to build a more efficient, future ready maritime ecosystem aligned with national development priorities.

Technology

12 Jun 2026

LTTS Partners with Databricks to Advance Industrial AI

L&T Technology Services (LTTS) has entered a strategic partnership with Databricks to co-develop Industrial AI solutions for asset-intensive industries, including energy, petrochemicals, and manufacturing. The collaboration leverages LTTS’ engineering expertise across 600+ major plants with Databricks’ AI and analytics platform to convert operational data into actionable Engineering Intelligence.The partnership will deliver solutions spanning Predictive Asset Reliability, Energy & Emissions Optimisation, Overall Equipment Effectiveness, Production and Quality Intelligence, and Sust..

Infrastructure Urban

12 Jun 2026

Opptra Partners with Unicommerce to Scale AI-Driven E-Commerce

Opptra, the AI-native e-commerce distributor founded by Flipkart co-founder Binny Bansal, has partnered with Unicommerce to enhance operations across India, the GCC, and Southeast Asia. The collaboration integrates Opptra’s brand expansion expertise with Unicommerce’s AI-led Uniware platform, enabling centralised management of orders, inventory, and fulfilment across warehouses, stores, and sales channels.Opptra retains full commercial ownership of online brand operations, from marketplace strategy and pricing to fulfilment and customer service. Leveraging Unicommerce’s 350+ integrations..

Real Estate

12 Jun 2026

AHS Properties Acquires Shangri-La Hotel for AED 1.1 Billion

AHS Properties has acquired the Shangri-La Hotel on Sheikh Zayed Road for AED 1.1 billion from Mismak Asset Management, marking one of the largest single-asset real estate deals in recent history. The 43-floor, 200-metre tower, completed in 2003, was among the first five-star hotels on the corridor.This acquisition complements AHS Tower and AHS City, forming a vertical corridor strategy that represents a substantial portion of the developer’s AED 50 billion year-end 2026 pipeline. Founder and CEO Abbas Sajwani described the purchase as a long-term investment in structurally constrained asset..