Delegate benefits (Virtual Conference)

• Direct interaction with senior speakers (Q&A facility)
• Easy connectivity to geographically dispersed delegates (click of a mouse)
• Concise report offered as a backgrounder
• Cost effective (lower ticket price as compared to a physical conference)
• Offers flexibility and convenience
• Access to conference recording
• Recap of conference sessions
• Contributes to sustainability and lower carbon footprint

For registration process/payment  to attend any one conference, please contact:

Harshita Wadehra
Email: harshita.wadehra@indiainfrastructure.com
Tel: +91-9871976468

• GST @18 per cent is applicable on the registration fee.
• Registration will be confirmed on receipt of the payment.

Benefits of sponsorship (Virtual Conference)

• E-Meet influencers and decision-makers
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For sponsorship and delegate registrations, contact:

Harshita Wadehra
Email: harshita.wadehra@indiainfrastructure.com
Tel: +91-9871976468

Organiser:    

For sponsorship and delegate registrations, contact:
Harshita Wadehra
Email: harshita.wadehra@indiainfrastructure.com
Tel: +91-9871976468

• The past year has been eventful, yet difficult for the ports sector. In March this year, the Major Port Authorities Bill, 2020 was introduced in Parliament to empower major ports for greater efficiency on account of full autonomy in decision-making. With this, the long pending industry demand of modernising the institutional structure for major ports has finally been met.
• The outbreak of Covid-19 has, however, presented unparalleled challenges and impacted the sector in multiple ways – limited workforce availability, unclaimed import cargo lying at ports, restrictions on vessels calling at ports, delays due to compliance requirements, blank container sailings, etc. Most of the private ports and terminals also invoked the force majeure clause.
• Cargo throughput at ports has been severely hit due to subdued global trade volumes. The major ports handled about 705 mt of traffic during 2019-20, less than their annual target of 725 mt. During April-August 2020, major ports handled 245 mt of traffic, registering a decline of 16 per cent over April-August 2019. With regard to non-major ports, during April-August 2020, the traffic declined by 17 per cent vis-à-vis the corresponding period in 2019.
• A slew of measures such as the deferment of revenue share for PPP terminal operators, extension of free storage time, exemption from container detention charges on exim shipments, waiving of the late fee and reduction of pilotage and berth hire charges were initiated. The ministry also issued specific guidelines with regard to cost escalations for PPP projects on account of the pandemic.
• While the sector continues to grapple with the Covid-19 induced slowdown, ports have made sure they carve out a way to enhance their operational efficiency through the adoption of new technology solutions such as e-office and e-passes for electronic cargo clearance.
• Meanwhile, the existing technology solutions such as container scanners, automated gates and delivery orders and the launch of SWIFT and ICEDASH for a single-window customs interface helped operators sail through these difficult times.
• While global headwinds and disruptions in the supply chain are expected to impact traffic at ports at least in the near to medium term, the MoS is expected to soon launch its Maritime Vision for 2030 with an aim to make port charges competitive and give a fillip to inland waterways, shipbuilding and cruise tourism. The ministry also plans to bring in the landlord model for all ports, which will see ports being operated by private players.
• The sector continues to offer substantial opportunity under the Sagarmala programme, inland waterways and coastal shipping. The National Infrastructure Pipeline (NIP) has projected a capital expenditure of Rs 1.21 trillion for the ports sector during the period up to 2024-25.
• Having said that, for effective and timely execution of projects, the process for obtaining clearances, land acquisition, etc., needs to be fast-tracked. The creation of adequate infrastructure (connectivity, draught, etc.) as well as access to finance will be a key enabler for projects and for investments. Besides, acceleration of digitalisation must be a top priority in the post-Covid-19 era.
• The mission of this conference is to highlight the emerging trends and new initiatives in the ports sector, understand the impact of Covid-19 on operations, projects and investments, discuss the impact and progress of key government programmes, and identify the key strategies and solutions relevant in the post-Covid era. The conference will also showcase best practices and emerging technology and equipment solutions.

To Download Final Agenda  Click Here

RECENT TRENDS, CHALLENGES, IMPACT OF COVID-19 AND OUTLOOK IN LIGHT OF COVID-19

• What have been the key trends and developments in the ports sector?
• What are the key issues and challenges?
• What has been the overall impact of Covid-19 on the sector?
• What has been the industry response to the pandemic? What will be key priority areas in the post-Covid world? What is the outlook for the sector?

GOVERNMENT PERSPECTIVE: TOWARDS VISION 2030

• What has been the progress so far? What are the new requirements that have emerged during the Covid-19 outbreak?
• What are the government’s plans and target under the Maritime Vision for 2030?
• What are the key requirements for the modernisation, mechanisation and digital transformation of ports under the Sagarmala programme?
• What will be the key priority areas in the post-Covid era?

SAGARMALA PROGRAMME: PROGRESS SO FAR, COMPLETION TIMELINES AND CHALLENGES

• What is the component-wise progress of Sagarmala programme?
• What are the targets and timelines?
• What are the key issues and challenges faced in project implementation?

DEVELOPER/OPERATOR PERSPECTIVE: EXPERIENCE, CONCERNS AND FUTURE STRATEGIES

• What has been the experience so far?
• What has been the impact of Covid-19 on operations and capacity addition plans?
• What are their expectations from the government and port trusts?
• What are the unresolved issues and challenges?

PORT USERS’ AND CUSTOMERS’ PERSPECTIVE: EXPERIENCE AND EXPECTATIONS

• How has the customer experience at Indian ports evolved over time?
• What are the new and emerging requirements? What are the key issues and concerns?
• What are their expectations from port operators?

FOCUS ON TRADE FACILITATION: CUSTOMS EXPERIENCE, ISSUES AND FUTURE DEVELOPMENTS

• What steps have been taken for customs procedures facilitation at Indian ports, especially in light of Covid-19?
• What are the key issues and challenges?
• What are the new and upcoming initiatives?

OPPORTUNITIES IN COASTAL SHIPPING

• What is the current scenario with regard to the movement of goods through coastal shipping?
• What steps have been taken to promote coastal shipping?
• What is the future outlook?

DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION OF PORTS: PROGRESS SO FAR, IMPACT OF COVID AND FUTURE POTENTIAL

• Which are the areas that have recorded a great deal of progress and which are the areas that are currently lacking?
• What has been the impact of Covid-19 on port modernisation projects?
• What steps are the port authorities taking to deal with cybersecurity threats?
• How are the ports gearing up to increase the level of technology adoption in the post-Covid world?

GREEN PORTS: NEW REQUIREMENTS, KEY INITIATIVES AND FUTURE PLANS

• What steps/initiatives have been undertaken by port authorities to meet energy requirements through green sources?
• What steps have been undertaken to meet IMO green norms on vessels plying in domestic waters?
• What new initiatives or developments can be expected in the next few years?

FOCUS ON INLAND WATERWAYS: EXPERIENCE SO FAR, UPCOMING OPPORTUNITIES AND FUTURE POTENTIAL

• What has IWAI’s experience been so far? What is the current scenario with regard to the movement of goods through inland waterways?
• What are the key steps that have been taken to promote the transportation of cargo through inland waterways, both intra-country and inter-country (Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar)?
• What are the issues and challenges?
• What is the future outlook?

NEXT-GEN TECHNOLOGIES AND AUTOMATION SOLUTIONS (COVID AND POST-COVID ERA)

• Automated gates with optical character recognition
• Artificial intelligence (AI),
• Big data and cloud computing,
• Blockchain and machine learning
• Drones and robotics,
• Remote sensing and GIS
• What are the kinds of automation solutions relevant for the post-Covid era?
• What have been the latest innovations?
• What are the global advancements and best practices?

PROJECT SHOWCASE: PLANS, PROGRESS AND OPPORTUNITIES

• Greenfield ports
• Container terminals
• Smart port cities
• Dredging
• Port connectivity, mmlps and ftwzs
• Others
  
• What are some of the noteworthy projects (under implementation/awarded)?
• What are the targets and timelines? What are the new opportunities and investment requirements?
• What are the key issues and challenges?

IMPROVING PRODUCTIVITY: SPOTLIGHT ON PORT HANDLING EQUIPMENT

• What are the key challenges faced in terms of improving productivity?
• What innovative port handling equipment can be deployed to improve productivity?
• What are the global advancements?

EMERGING AREAS: CRUISE TOURISM, ROLL-ON, ROLL-OFF, SHIPBUILDING AND SHIP-REPAIR                        

• What are the new emerging areas of growth for Indian ports (roll-on, roll-off, cruise shipping, shipbuilding and ship-repair)?
• What are the upcoming projects and opportunities?
• What are the key issues and challenges?

• Sanjay Sethi, Chairman, Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust
• P. Raveendran, Chairman, Chennai Port Trust
• Dilip Kumar Gupta, MD & Director (Projects), Sagarmala Development Company
• Krishna B. Kotak, Chairman, J.M. Baxi Group 
• Anoop Kumar Agarwal, MD, IPRCL
• Rajiv Agarwal, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Essar Ports
• Arun Maheshwari, Joint Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, JSW Infrastructure
• Ms Sudha Koka, Commissioner, Chennai Customs House
• Jai Khurana, Chief Executive Officer, Southern Ports, Adani Ports and SEZ
• Keshav Sunder H.K., Deputy Chief Engineer, Mumbai Port Trust 
• R.N. Hari Krishna, Chief Mechanical Engineer, Visakhapatnam Port Trust
• Devdutta Bose, Group Sector Head, Ports and Harbours, Tata Consulting Engineers

For speaking opportunities, please contact:
Neha Mathur
Email: neha.mathur@indiainfrastructure.com
Mob: + 91 8826000927

The event is expected to draw participation from executives, managers and decision-makers from:

• Major and minor ports
• State port departments
• Dredging companies
• Consultancy organisations
• Surveyors and investigators
• Investors/Private equity firms
• Industry analysts
• Financial institutions
• Private and public port operators
• Captive port and jetty operators
• Technology providers
• Renewable energy developers
• Insurance and pension fund companies
• Legal firms
• Commercial banks
• Maritime boards
• Contractors
• Shipping companies
• Equipment manufacturers
• Logistics companies
• Tax advisory firms
• Management consultants