The need of the hour in the ports and shipping sector is higher benchmarks and aggressive embracing of digitalisation and advanced state-of-the-art technology.

Stakeholders harp on the government's infrastructure push and expect construction orders of Rs.18 trillion in the next six years. This order inflow volume should support 12 to 15 per cent of industry-level execution of compound annual growth rate (CAGR).

Smart Cities Council India along with Western Digital, a leading global provider of storage solutions, co-hosted a Roundtable Conference on 'Technology Modernisation for Safer and Smarter Cities' in Mumbai. The conference primarily aimed at discussing initiatives to fuel the growth of surveillance security in India, the challenges faced, and methods to address them.

When the 60 winning cities (with proposals worth over Rs 1.31 lakh crore) become smart, it is expected to positively impact the lives of 72 crore urban population. While Rs 1.05 lakh crore will be spent on area-based development plans, Rs 26,141 crore will be spent on pan-city solutions in the next five years.

Make in India (MI) is not a government programme, beyond the terms of facilitation that any Union government can provide to boost industrial growth (in the manufacturing sector). This has been done through an invitation of policy changes to create interest and investment to meet the inevitable growth trajectory in business processes.

Mumbai Port will be investing Rs.225 crore to build a modern passenger terminal that can cater to cruise ships.

Mumbai Port Trust (MbPT) will free 150 hectares from its land parcel for iconic infrastructure projects such as entertainment hubs and all weather marina project.

Mumbai Port will be floating a global tender to appoint a project management and implementation consultant for preparing a master plan for developing its land. It is the country´s largest port. ´Till now, the plans that have been made are general.

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.