Shri Shantanu Thakur, Minister of State for Ports, Shipping & Waterways, Government of India, visited Deendayal Port Authority (DPA), Kandla, chairing a review meeting on the port’s operational performance and infrastructure development.
The visit opened with a ceremonial Guard of Honour from the Central Industrial Security Force at the Administrative Office Building in Gandhidham.
The Minister then held discussions with Shri Sushil Kumar Singh, Chairman of DPA, and Shri Nilabhra Dasgupta, Deputy Chairman, alongside heads of department and senior port officials.
The review covered operational performance, infrastructure development projects, capacity enhancement initiatives and the port’s green energy transition. The Minister acknowledged DPA’s efforts to improve efficiency and strengthen logistics infrastructure, noting the port’s contribution to national maritime growth.
A key highlight of the visit was recognition of DPA’s recent achievement in crossing the 50 million metric tonne (MMT) cargo handling threshold in the fastest time among all Major Port Authorities in India during the current financial year.
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The Minister credited the port’s workforce and stakeholders for the milestone, expressing confidence that DPA would continue to advance both cargo throughput and green mobility initiatives through the remainder of the financial year.
The Minister subsequently chaired a Stakeholders’ Meet attended by port users, trade associations, terminal operators, shipping agents and stevedores, where he acknowledged the coordination between port administration and the maritime trade community that has helped sustain DPA’s position among India’s leading Major Ports.
Local representatives, including Shri Vinodbhai Chavda, MP for Kutch, Smt. Maltiben Maheshwari, MLA, and Smt. Divyaben Nathani, Mayor of Gandhidham, also participated in discussions on the port’s development roadmap.
