Centre implementing Rs 320-crore project at five ports to enable digital ecosystem

The major ports in the country have an installed capacity of 1,534.91 MTPA as on March 2020

The government is implementing a Rs 320-crore project at five major ports in order to provide a digital port ecosystem, according to the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways.

These ports are Mumbai, Chennai, Deendayal, Paradip and Kolkata (including Haldia).

"An enterprise business system (EBS) is being implemented at five major ports with a project cost of about Rs 320 crore to provide a digital port ecosystem," Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways has said in a document.

The system will adopt best international practices without losing its alignment to existing local needs, it added.

A total of 2,474 processes were rationalised, harmonised, optimised and standardised to arrive at a final re-engineered process count of 162 processes, it said.

In addition, a centralised web-based port community system (PCS) has been operationalised across all major ports which enables seamless data flow between various stakeholders through common interface.

To move towards the complete paperless regime, E-DO (electronic delivery order) through PCS has been made mandatory along with e-invoicing and e-payment, it said.

The major ports in the country have an installed capacity of 1,534.91 MTPA (million tonnes per annum) as on March 2020 and handled a traffic of 704.92 MT during 2019-20.

India has 12 major ports — Deendayal (erstwhile Kandla), Mumbai, JNPT, Mormugao, New Mangalore, Cochin, Chennai, Kamarajar (earlier Ennore), VO Chidambaranar, Visakhapatnam, Paradip and Kolkata (including Haldia).