India´s largest container port, Jawaharlal Nehru Port, will be spending nearly `500 crore in the next two-three years to beef up evacuation of cargo and further increase connectivity with the hinterland. This investment will go towards building a coastal shipping berth and a common railway yard. At present, only about 18 per cent of the cargo is moved out of JN Port through rail. However, the port plans to increase this share to 30 per cent in the next few years.
Also, in line with the government´s thrust on coastal shipping and inland waterways, the port plans to have a dedicated berth to enable it to offer faster movement of cargo at economical rates. These investments are in addition to the nearly Rs.13,000 crore worth of projects that are currently underway. At present, only about 18 per cent of cargo is moved out of JNPT through rail, which the port plans to increase. With these measures, JN Port is trying to hold on to its position of the largest container port and remain competitive with private ports.