Sri Lanka enhances Colombo Port for Red Sea Crisis response

31 Jan 2024 CW Team

The Sri Lankan government announced its determination to enhance operational efficiency at the Colombo Port in response to the escalating demand for container cargo operations due to the emergency situation in the Red Sea.

The Colombo Port has witnessed a significant increase in transshipment volumes since the beginning of January, attributed to the rerouting of ships following heightened attacks in the Red Sea by Yemen-based Houthi rebels. Instead of using the Suez Canal, vessels are now choosing an extended route around Africa.

Nimal Siripala de Silva, the Ports Minister, mentioned that he had instructed officials to optimize the operations of the Colombo Port to accommodate the surge in container cargo traffic, considering the emergency situation in the Red Sea.

By mid-January, the Colombo Port had experienced an 80 percent increase in volume, handling nearly 200,000 containers. Sri Lanka Port Authority officials anticipate handling around 7 million containers or TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units) in 2024.

In 2023, the Colombo Port managed 6.9 million TEUs, compared to 6.86 million TEUs in 2022. Officials revealed ongoing developments at the eastern and western container terminals of the Colombo Port to increase its TEU capacity from 8 million to 8.5 million.

Addressing the increased operations at the Colombo Port, Tharaka Balasuriya, the state minister of foreign affairs, emphasized that this development should be viewed in the context of safeguarding the freedom of navigation in international waters, a principle that must be protected consistently.

Simultaneously, the Sri Lankan Navy committed to deploying a vessel to participate in international operations against Houthi rebel attacks on merchant shipping in the Red Sea.

Infrastructure Urban

02 Jun 2026

VECV Sales Rise 7.8 Per Cent In May 2026

VE Commercial Vehicles recorded sales of 7,978 units in May 2026, compared to 7,401 units in May 2025, registering growth of 7.8 per cent. This included 7,789 units from the Eicher brand and 189 units from the Volvo brand.Eicher branded trucks and buses reported sales of 7,789 units during the month, up 7.3 per cent from 7,258 units a year earlier. In the domestic commercial vehicle market, Eicher sales rose 9.1 per cent to 7,375 units from 6,758 units in May 2025.Exports declined 17.2 per cent to 414 units from 500 units in the corresponding month last year. Volvo Trucks and Volvo Buses recor..

Table Space Strengthens DESYN Leadership Team

Table Space has announced strategic leadership appointments within DESYN, its integrated Design and Build business, as it looks to strengthen operations across key enterprise and GCC markets in India. DESYN was launched as a strategic extension of Table Space’s workspace solutions portfolio to meet rising demand for agile, high-quality and rapidly deployable enterprise workspaces.Shruti Ookabhoy has joined DESYN as Executive Director and will lead the Design vertical, focusing on design capability, operational excellence and team development across markets. She brings over 22 years of experi..

Concord Associate Bags Rs 2.79 Bn Kavach Order

Concord Control Systems said its associate company, Progota India, has received a Rs 2.79 bn domestic order from Indian Railways for the supply, installation, testing and commissioning of on-board Kavach 4.0 loco equipment.The order is scheduled for execution within 12 months and strengthens Concord’s role in India’s railway safety and signalling ecosystem. Kavach is India’s indigenous automatic train protection system, designed to improve operational safety by helping prevent signal passing at danger and reducing collision risks.Gaurav Lath, Joint Managing Director, Concord Control Syst..