Karnataka News

India's army and navy deployed ships and aircraft as they searched for 26 people still missing more than three days after a powerful cyclone sank a barge off the country's west coast, killing 49 people on board.Cyclone Tauktae, the most powerful storm to barrel into the west coast in two decades, has killed at least 46 others after wreaking havoc in the states of Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka and Kerala."Ships and aircraft continue to search for the remaining crew," Navy…

India is expected to lead with 18% capacity share in the global LNG regasification industry from new-build (planned and announced) projects between 2019 and 2023, according to GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.The company’s report, ‘H2 2019 Global Capacity and Capital Expenditure Outlook for LNG Regasification Terminals – India Continues to Dominate Global Regasification Capacity Additions and Capex Spending’, reveals that  India has the highest LNG regasification capacity additions of 2.7 trillion cubic feet (tcf) globally by 2023 from 17 planned and announced new-build regasification terminals.Of the total new-build capacity…

South Asia's APM Terminals Inland Services, operator of port and integrated inland service networks, is helping set up solar power plants in deep pockets of India.The global terminal network company is providing tailor-made logistics solutions to help overcome transport, technical and procedural challenges.The company is now offering a new end-to-end solution for major solar projects, which includes receiving cargo at the sea-port, facilitating customs inspection and clearance, multi-modal transportation to reach these isolated areas and destuffing at the site.“Back in 2015, solar power was just beginning to catch everybody's attention and imports from China were picking up at a tremendous pace.

Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy (SGRE)  has won a new order in India from ReNew Power, India's large largest renewable energy independent power producer (IPP), for the supply of 270 SG 2.1-122 wind turbines with a total capacity of 567 MW.The agreement is one of the largest announced in India and will see Siemens Gamesa provide the infrastructure needed to install and operate two wind power facilities, 127 SG 2.1-122 wind turbines for the project in Bhuj, Gujarat and 143 SG 2.1-122 wind turbines for the project in Davanagree, Karnataka, respectively.Both projects are expected to be commissioned by the first quarter of 2020. SGRE has over 1 GW of contracted capacity of wind projects for ReNew Power.With over 1 GW of contracted capacity of wind projects for ReNew power…

In the past one year, Maersk Line, the global containerized division of the Maersk Group has enabled movement of multiple consignments of complex cargo out of India successfully, said a press release. Due to its global presence and network, the exporter network of India has been able to successfully reach out to newer geographies. Commenting on the achievement, recently appointed Managing Director for Maersk Line (India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh, Maldives and Bhutan), Steve Felder said, ”In the past 18 months or so, we have expanded our horizon in various new commodity categories. India is at an exciting growth path and with our focus on adding value to the customer’s end to end cold chain, the commitment to support the growth of the trade is very strong and visible.

For promoting port-led industrialization, 14 Coastal Economic Zones (CEZs) covering all the Maritime States and Union Territories have been identified as part of the National Perspective Plan under the Sagarmala Programme. The Perspective Plans for all 14 CEZs have been prepared in consultation with relevant State Governments and Central Ministries. The idea behind developing the zones is to promote 'development of port-proximate industrial clusters'. Gujarat, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala and West Bengal are the other states where potential for coastal economic zones has been identified. Minister of State for Shipping Pon Radhakrishnan said that port-led industrialization would provide impetus to the "Make in India" initiative and aid job creation.

The Ministry of Shipping in India has taken up projects worth Rs 2,302 crore (USD 356million) for financial assistance under the Coastal Berth Scheme of the flagship Sagarmala Programme. The Ministry, after due appraisal in consultation with NITI Aayog and Department of Expenditure, has extended the period of the scheme for three years, upto 31st March, 2020 and expanded its scope to cover capital dredging at Major Ports and preparation of DPR for coastal berth project, in Oct 2017. The projects under Coastal Berth Scheme of the flagship Sagarmala Programme are distributed over eight states with the highest number of projects in Maharashtra (12 projects)…

The Indian Ministry of Shipping has sanctioned Rs 25 Crore (USD 3.84mln) as Grants-in-aid to Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust and another Rs 50 Crore (USD 7.68mln) to the Government of Karnataka for Karwar Port, for developing their infrastructure, under the Coastal Berth Scheme of its flagship program Sagarmala. The Coastal Berth Scheme aims to provide financial support to ports or state governments for creation of infrastructure for movement of cargo and passenger by sea or national waterways. The admissible financial assistance from Central Government is 50% of the total cost of the project subject to: (i) a maximum of Rs 25 crore for projects relating to construction/up-gradation of coastal berths by Major/Non-Major Ports…

INS Tillanchang, a Water Jet Fast Attack Craft (WJFAC), was commissioned into the Indian Navy  by Vice Admiral Girish Luthra, AVSM, VSM, the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief Western Naval Command at Karwar naval base in Karnataka. It is the third ship of four follow-on WJFACs being built by the Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) Kolkata. The first two ships of the class, IN ships Tarmugli and Tihayu were commissioned in 2016 and are based at Visakhapatnam. The ship has been indigenously designed and built and is an upgrade from the Chetlat class of Fast Attack Craft that the Indian Navy possesses. Speaking on the occasion…

The Government has identified fourteen Coastal Economic Zones (CEZ) along the coastline of the country under National Perspective Plan (NPP) of Sagarmala Programme. The CEZ are  spatial economic regions spread over multiple coastal districts with strong port linkage. Within each CEZ, there could be multiple industrial clusters that could contain industrial units with requisite support infrastructure. In the state of Gujarat there will be three CEZs - (1) Kandla-Mundra, (2) Pipavav-Sikka and (3)Dahej-Hazira. JNPT, Mumbai (Maharashtra), Dighi- Jaigarh-Mormugao (Goa), New Mangalore (Karnataka) and Cochin (Kerala) will be other CEZs. Tamil…

The Ministry of Shipping, India has sanctioned Rs. 30 Crore ($4.37 mln) for capacity building and providing safety training of 20,000 workers engaged in ship recycling activities at Alang-Sosiya recycling yard in Gujarat. In addition, Rs. 13.77 Crore has also been sanctioned for skill training in 27 coastal districts in convergence with Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana (DDU-GKY). In addition to this, to support the development of fishermen community, the Ministry is funding select fishing harbor projects under Sagarmala in convergence with Department of Animal Husbandry Dairying & Fisheries (DADF). In this regard, Rs. 13 Crore has been sanctioned for the modernization of the existing fishing harbor at Sassoon Dock, in Mumbai.

Expansion, modernization and up-gradation of Major Ports in India is an ongoing process to keep the ports abreast with new technologies and also to promote trade and cargo. 62 Public–private partnership (PPP) Projects with an investment of Rs.49,049 crore ($7.1 bn) are under implementation and operation. For the year 2016-17, 33 projects with an investment of Rs.9,845 crore have been taken up. Port Master Plans for 12 major ports have been prepared keeping in view the requirements for cargo handling till 2035. A total of 142 Port Modernization projects have been identified in the Master Plans. These identified projects will be taken up for implementation in phases.

Sagarmala, the ambitious program for ‘Port-led development’ in the country is all set to change the logistics sector performance by optimizing India’s logistics modal mix. The flagship program by the Ministry of Shipping  will help in reducing the logistics cost for both domestic and EXIM cargo with optimized infrastructure investment. An overall cost savings of approximately $6 billion per annum by 2025 is estimated from the same. According to a study conducted under the Sagarmala programme, there lies a significant potential for moving raw materials and finished products using coastal shipping and inland waterways which is 60-80% cheaper than road or rail transport.

Krishnapatnam, the country’s largest all-weather; deep water port on the east-coast of India has marked another milestone towards operational excellence as it launched its weekly mainline service from China to Krishnapatnam Port. The service to be operated by Maersk line in partnership with Hanjin Shipping of Korea will provide the fastest and most competitive service to the exporters and importers of Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka and Northern Tamil Nadu to the ports of China, Far East Asia and South East Asia. The current transit time for bulk cargo like furniture, office and hotel interiors which take 40-45 days to reach the consignee will be straight halved with the launch of the new service through Krishnapatnam Port Container Terminal.

Two people, including a sailor, were killed and two others injured after inhaling toxic fumes on board India's aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya at Karwar Naval base in Karnataka. The condition of two others injured was stable and constantly being monitored in the Naval Hospital, Karwar, said officials. "The incident of gas leakage took place yesterday evening while the ship was undergoing maintenance repairs in the sewage treatment plant compartment," said a statement issued by Indian navy. Inducted into the Indian Navy two years back, the 45,000 tonne naval ship witnessed the first accident at 5.00 pm on Friday whilst the ship was undergoing maintenance repairs at the naval base. The Navy has ordered an inquiry into the incident.

On receiving the distress call motor tanker  MV Infinity I around 20 nautical miles from Goa on Wednesday evening, the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) salvaged the vessel, its cargo and rescued 14 crew by dispatching ships from Goa. MV Infinity I reported water ingress and continuous listing (nautical term for tilting) to starboard (right side of the ship). The vessel had reported that the list is increasing despite ship's de-watering efforts. Such emergencies can lead to the sinking of the ship. The 83 m long MT Infinity-1 is an oil/asphalt carrier and was on coastal passage from Kandla port in Gujarat to Karwar in Karnataka with a 14-member Indian crew. She was carrying approximately 1750 tonnes of Asphalt. Indian Naval Ship Trikand from Western Naval Command immediately responded to the call.

Krishnapatnam Port inaugurated yesterday the maiden call of “M V Maersk Bentonville” as part of the direct weekly service from Krishpatnam to Salalah (Oman). The first voyage of Maersk Bentonville discharged 551 TEU’s and loaded 770 TEU’s of exports. The weekly service is expected to provide fastest and most competitive service to the exporters and importers of Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka and Northern Tamil Nadu to the ports of US East Coast, Mediterranean, Europe and Africa. A formal inaugural ceremony was held to commemorate the maiden call in the presence of Mr. Anoop Kumar (RSM, Maersk Line), Mr. Biju Ravi (RSM, Safmarine) and Dr. Anup Dayanand Sadhu (GGM, CONCOR). Launching the service from KPCT, Mr.

Maersk Line India a unit of Danish conglomerate A P Moller Maersk Group, has launched a new service from Salalah, Oman to the Krishnapatnam Port in Andhra Pradesh. The weekly service to be started from April 17 will connect customers in the areas of AP, Northern Tamil Nadu and Eastern Karnataka directly to Oman and nearby region. Krishnapatnam Port is a privately built and owned all weather, deep water port on the east coast of India, located in the Nellore District of Andhra Pradesh. Chinta Sasidhar, Managing Director, Krishnapatnam Port Company Ltd (KPCL) said “ The new service will substantially reduce transit time in these areas and will also minimise the cost, which will be of a huge benefit to our customers.

Maersk starts its Krishnapatnam Service from April 17th and Kattupalli on April 19th, 2016. Both these calls are strategic and are aimed at supporting the growth of local businesses in the hinterland covering Andhra Pradesh, Northern Tamil Nadu and Eastern Karnataka. Commenting on this announcement, Mr. Franck Dedenis, Managing Director, Maersk Line (India and Bangladesh Cluster) said, “Our decision to call on these ports reiterates Maersk Line’s commitment in bringing value to our customers. Both these calls will enable us to be closer to our customers. We are here for the long haul and want to grow profitably with the market. These calls to Krishnapatnam and Kattupalli will help Maersk Line leverage port efficiencies and reduced transportation time.

Sima Marine, a subsidiary of Dubai-based Simatech Shipping, one of the largest container feeder servicing companies in the world operating 54 ships, has launched coastal container shipping services in India. The coastal container shipping service will operate from Kochi connecting Mangalore in Karnataka, Goa and Mundra in Gujarat. Simatech Shipping is one of the largest container feeder servicing companies in the world operating 54 ships with partners, including 15 of its own. For the exclusive coastal service operations in the country, the Indian subsidiary has also acquired two 1,500-TEU container vessels, Sima Godavari and Sima Narmada, which have already started their operations now. These ships are now sailing with Indian flag to work within the cabotage law.

Hanjin Shipping India Pvt Ltd, the South Korean shipping conglomerate, made its maiden call at KPCT on 1st February, 2016. Vessel MV Hanjin Florida had exchanged 553 TEU out of which 109 TEU are imports and 444 TEU are exports. Krishnapatnam Port Container Terminal, whose volume during Apr’15 - Jan’16 has already surpassed FY 2014-15 container volume, offers immense opportunities for new service calls to tap its huge hinterland. The Port Rotation for this service is: KRISHNAPATNAM – TANJUNG PELEPAS - SINGAPORE – QINGDAO – XINGANG – BUSAN – SHANGHAI – NANSHA. This service will cater to all import/export businesses ex INKRI (Port Code of Krishnapatnam Port) to Far East, USEC, USWC, Latin America, Europe and Inter Asia.

The Ministry of Shipping has taken many proactive and progressive interventions in the areas of shipbuilding, port development, inland waterways and coastal shipping this year for the development of the maritime sector in the country. The key initiatives includes  Sagarmala Project, Special Purpose Vehicle to provide efficient last mile rail connectivity to Major Ports, Incentive for Shipbuilding and ship-repair Industry,  Jal Marg Vikas Project, Customs and Excise Duty Exempted on the Use of Bunker Fuels for coastal transportation of EXIM and empty container and for domestic containers transported alongwith EXIM and empty containers, Cabotage Relaxed for Special Vessels and Developing 78 lighthouses as tourism centers.

The $10-billion Adani Group is stringing together a Sagar Mala or necklace of ports dotting India's coastline, said Karan Adani, reports ET. The group is keen to complete its own 'Sagarmala' (Necklace Ocean) dream by having presence in the three key states of Maharashtra, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, apart from setting up trans-shipment terminals in Southeast Asia and East Africa. “We are also keen to have trans-shipment terminals in Southeast Asia, especially in Myanmar and Bangladesh, and also in East Africa, so that these facilities can serve the upcoming Vizhinjam facility,” Karan Adani, Executive Director of the APSEZ and son of group Chairman Gautam Adani said.