The $1billion US-based engineering and construction management company, Louis Berger, has been active in India for over 20 years. The New Jersey-based corporation is engaged in a slewof projects, including bridges, tunnels, roads, highways, railways, and transit, aviation and smart cities.

Due to coastal shipping becoming economically viable after demonetisation, automajor Hyundai has decided to increase its monthly shipment through this mode. The Korean major has also said that demonetisation has led to ´less supply of trucks´ and coastal shipping is a ´blessing in disguise´ to meet the orders.

Major Ports in India handled 315.4 MT of cargo during the first six months of FY2016-17 (April-September) and showed a positive growth of 5.1 per cent as compared to the same period last year. The cargo traffic handled by the Major Ports during the same period last year was 299.5 MT. This improvement of performance is the result of many measures initiated by the Ministry of Shipping to improve the performance of the ports.

The Spices Board has set up Gujarat´s first quality evaluation laboratory at Kandla port. The facility, which became operational from May 4, 2016

In a bid to become self-reliant in energy, the Ministry of Shipping has chalked out plans to install around 200 MW captive (150 MW solar and 50 MW wind) renewable power projects in as many as 11 major ports in India.

Buoyed by pick up in demand, India´s 12 major ports saw cargo traffic increase by 3.36 per cent to 499.23 mt in the first 10 months of the current fiscal. These top ports handled 483.01 mt cargo during April-Jan of the last fiscal.

American car maker Ford has firmed up plans to use the cost-effective sea route to reach out to the north Indian markets as well export cars to foreign countries.

After a hiatus in 2014, there are emerging signs of takers for PPP projects in some of the sectors, including ports. Baring some shortcomings, PPPs have achieved resonable success rate. However, it is too early to say that they have been a grand success.

India has a coastline of 7,517 km, with 12 major ports and 200 notified non-major (minor or intermediate) ports along the coastline. Out of the 200 notified non-major ports, up to 2013-14, only 61 were reported to have been handling cargo brought through maritime routes.