Major port Visakhapatnam Port Authority (VPA) has undoubtedly sailed thru disparate waters to become a leading maritime gateway in this region.
Having started over 8 decades ago in 1933 VPA today ranks among the top 4 major ports in the country and is the largest port in terms of cargo handled in Andhra Pradesh.
As per VPA records the port in its first year of operation, handled a mere cargo of 1.3 lakh tonnes wherein exports were 1.2 lakh tonnes and imports 0.1 lakh tonnes.
Fast forward today VPA is a leading maritime gateway equipped with state-of-the-art facilities handling bulk cargoes like coal, iron ore, break bulk cargoes like rice and is also bustling container port handling varied commodities like Agri, Aluminium, seafoods etc.
Ships from around the world call at VPA carrying cargoes from eclectic destinations. Some of the top import countries include Australia, UAE, Indonesia etc. while some of the top export countries include China, Singapore, Colombia etc.
Led by its chairperson, Dr. Madhaiyaan Angamuthu, IAS, VPA has been at the forefront of breaking records and setting new milestones.
VPA handled its highest ever cargo since inception in FY24 with a record 81.09 million Tonnes of cargo in the fiscal year 2023-24.
‘Visakhapatnam Port Authority (VPA) continues to play a strategic role in India’s maritime development. With a heritage rich in maritime excellence and a future poised for innovative growth, VPA remains committed to enhancing its capabilities and contributing significantly to our nation’s economic resilience’ said its chairman Dr Angamuthu.
And in alignment with the Government of India’s Sagarmala Programme, VPA is focused on reducing logistic costs and enhancing the efficiency of cargo movement.
‘This initiative is not just about augmenting our physical infrastructure but also about integrating digital technologies that streamline operations and foster transparency,’ said the chairman.
As VPA marches ahead towards becoming a landlord port it continues to take several measures for modernisation and upgradation of its infrastructure.
VPA is enhancing its rail and road connectivity to ensure seamless move- ment of goods, thereby elevating its operational standards to global benchmarks.
‘The adoption of the ‘Land Lord’ model is a strategic move towards involving private stakeholders in terminal operations, ensuring that our growth is sustainable and inclusive’ said Dr Angamuthu.
Similarly, the port has taken and continues to take numerous steps in both digitisation and sustainability measures.
In regards to its container terminal, VCT i.e. Visakha Container Terminal Pvt. Ltd., it manages and operates the container terminal under the aegis of Visakhapatnam Port Authority under BOT basis.
VCT is an ideal gateway for container traffic from states of AP, Telangana, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Maharashtra, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh & West Bengal.
VCT completed its expansion of its terminal in 2022 thereby increasing its capacity from 0.7 million TEUs to 1.3 million TEUs.
The expansion work was undertaken by JM Baxi the BOT operator at a cost of over Rs 630 crores. The container terminal reported a 29% increase in operations in FY 24, reinforcing its position as a regional transshipment hub in the Bay of Bengal.
