Psus News

Jawaharlal Nehru Port (JNPT), Ministry of Shipping, Ministry of Railways and state governments of Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra will enter into a pact tomorrow for implementing a new Indore- Manmad Railway Line Project.The project will be implemented through Indian Port Rail Corporation Limited on joint venture special purpose vehicle (SPV) model."An MoU will be signed tomorrow between JNPT- Ministry of Shipping, Ministry of Railways, Govt of Maharashtra and Govt of Madhya Pradesh for implementation of 362 km Indore- Manmad New Railway Line Project," the shipping ministry said in a statement.The project will reduce the distance from Mumbai/Pune to key central India locations by 171 kilometers.The project passes through the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor nodes Igatpuri…

India's Ministry of Shipping has undertaken a diverse set of initiatives as part of its drive to boost profitability across major Indian ports.One major initiative is to improve the returns earned on treasury investments by the ports for pension, provident and surplus funds. Across all major ports, these funds add up to around INR  33,000 crore (USD 4.8 billion), yielding interest of around INR 2,700 crore (USD 394 million)Looking for ways to push this amount further, the Ministry has realized an opportunity to improve returns by INR 150 crore (USD 22 million) or more through a strategic shift in its guidelines for provident and surplus funds.As per the most recent guidelines…

India's Ministry of Shipping held a consultation meeting with various stake holders on ‘Policy for Award of Waterfront and Associated Land to Port Dependent Industries in Major Ports’ in New Delhi. The policy was approved by the Union Cabinet earlier this year and is aimed at bringing uniformity and transparency in the procedure for awarding captive facilities at ports. The meeting was attended by various stakeholders from companies such as Indian Oil Corporation Ltd, Bharat Petroleum, Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Limited, Adani Ports, SEPC Power Pvt Ltd, NTPC and industry bodies ASSOCHAM and CII. In depth discussions were held on various aspects of the policy…

The Government of India will consider giving shipping the status of Infrastructure in the country and all efforts would be made to improve it’s productivity, says Minister of State for Shipping, Road Transport and Highways, Chemicals & Fertilizers, Mansukh Lal Mandaviya. He was reviewing the activities of Shipping Corporation of India in Mumbai today. The Minister was briefed by the senior officers of the Shipping Corporation of India about the recent business initiatives like formation of Inland Waterways, subsidiary to undertake transportation on NW-1, NW-2 & NW-5 and increasing coastal presence by providing weekly services on west & east coast of India.

To exploit the potential of India’s approximately 7,500 km long coastline and 14,500km of potentially navigable waterways the Sagarmala Programme aims to promote port-led development in the country, says the government of India. Sagarmala is a long term programme. The objectives of the Sagarmala Programme are Port modernization & new port development, enhancing port connectivity to hinterland, port led Industrialization and coastal community development. The programme involves drawing up a National Perspective Plan(NPP) for Port Modernization & New Port Development, Port Connectivity Enhancement, Port-Led Industrial Development and Coastal Community Development as a first step for an integrated approach to port led development.

The first ever Maritime India Summit in Mumbai has resulted in attracting investments worth Rs 82,905 crores ($12.5 billion), says the Ministry of Shipping. A total of 141 MoUs and Business Agreements were signed by various players in maritime sector including Major Ports, State Maritime Boards and PSUs like Shipping Corporation of India, Cochin Shipyard Limited, Inland Waterways Authority of India etc. Some of the major Indian companies who have signed agreements include the Adanis, Jindal, Vedanta, ESSAR, and Shapoorji Pallonji Company. One significant MOU signed relates to establishment of a greenfield port at Vadhavan, Maharashtra. Phase I of the project is estimated to cost around Rs 9167 crores.

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 Shipping Corporation of India Ltd., has won the third prize for the ‘Best Enterprise Award’ in the 26th Regional Meet organized by the Forum of Women in Public Sector (WIPS), Western Region. The forum of Women in Public Sector (WIPS) and its network have been functioning since 1989 under the Aegis of SCOPE to promote growth and development of women in PSUs. Central PSUs, nationalized banks and insurance companies are corporate life members of WIPS, and about 10,000 women employees of PSUs from across the country are individual members. The Shipping Corporation of India (SCI) is one of the corporate life members. The Forum of Women in Public Sector (Western Region) held its 26th Annual Regional Meet on October 3…

India's state-owned companies can  now make their own shipping arrangements of both dry and liquid bulk cargo without having to route their requirements through the Shipping Ministry. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) has allowed government departments and public sector undertakings (PSUs) to make their own shipping arrangements with regard to oceanic transportation of cargo by decentralising existing chartering arrangements. This step of enabling direct chartering arrangements will not only give flexibility to government departments/PSUs to make tailor made solutions for cargo operations in a dynamic shipping market but also promote Indian tonnage. The scrapping of the provision to route their requirement through the Ministry ofShipping would save time.

Pipavav Defence & Offshore Engineering Co Ltd (PDOC) has announced a joint venture (JV) with Russia's JSC Ship Repairing Centre Zvyozdochka for medium refits and life certification of eight EKM 877 submarines in the country. This positions PDOC nicely for overhauling India's nine Russian-origin kilo-class submarines, and several identical submarines operated by other regional navies. Pipavav, in which Anil Ambani-led Reliance Group is in the process of acquiring a majority stake, proposes to execute the programme under a joint venture with 51 per cent stake, consistent with MoD regulations, a company statement said. This would be the first time the work for refit of submarines was being considered for the private sector in the country.

Verotec has supplied suites of five different VMEbus-based systems to a global US-based naval and marine systems integrator. The systems will be used in military shipboard applications, so meeting exacting shock and vibration requirements was a critical requirement. Each system consist of a VMEbus backplane and two military grade power converters mounted in custom plug-in modules in special subracks based on Verotec’s KM6-HD family. Extensive Finite Element Analysis (FIA) confirmed that the systems would withstand an onerous 25g shock test and also vibration to MIL-STD-167.

Inviting entries for one of the most sought-after awards in internal communication. With the prestigious ICE (In-house Communication Excellence) Awards scheduled for the 6th June 2015, the organisers are getting set a venue that will host its largest number of guests including the industry’s glitterati, high government officials, diplomats and embassy officials and leading personalities from overseas. The process for inviting entries had already started. The process is going on and the date for sending entries which commenced on 1st March will come to a close on 30th April 2015. Immersed in the quest for excellence, Shailaja Nair Foundation…

On a journey that would take more than five weeks, six 32-foot transportable security boats (TPSBs), two pick-up trucks, six boat trailers, and 15 five-ton storage containers traveled more than 5,000 miles across the Pacific Ocean from Everett, Washington to Pohang, South Korea. Coast Guard Port Security Units 311, 312 and 313 mobilized 80 tons of gear and more than 100 personnel to participate in one of the largest, international military exercises on the Korean peninsula, Combined Joint Logistics Over the Shore Exercise (CJLOTS). CJLOTS is an annual exercise comprised of more than 1,200 U.S.

With air temperatures hovering around freezing every night, steaming hot showers were a welcomed luxury for more than 1,200 deployed Coast Guard, Army, Navy, Marine and Air Force personnel at Camp Baldwin, especially once the camp was transformed into a giant mud pit after steady rain showers drenched the clay grounds during the day. Camp Baldwin, a large-scale, temporary military camp built in the middle of a Korean Marine base in Pohang, South Korea, housed the participants of the Combined Joint Logistics Over the Shore Exercise (CJLOTS), an annual exercise comprised of more than 1,200 U.S.

1716-The Boston Lighthouse on Little Brewster Island in Boston Harbor, the first lighthouse established in America, was first lit. 1944-The Great Atlantic Hurricane, a Category 3 hurricane, made landfall at Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, Long Island, New York, and Point Judith, Rhode Island. Cape Henry, Virginia, reported sustained winds at 134 MPH with gusts to 150 MPH. There were 46 civilian deaths and $100 million in damage from Cape Hatteras northward through the Maine coast. Cutters Jackson and Bedloe, and Lightship No. 73 on Vineyard Sound Station, foundered. All 12 of the lightship's crew perished. Only 30 of the 78 crewmen aboard the two cutters were saved. Two Navy vessels also foundered. A total of 344 perished at sea.

1716-The Boston Lighthouse on Little Brewster Island in Boston Harbor, the first lighthouse established in America, was first lit. 1944-The Great Atlantic Hurricane, a Category 3 hurricane, made landfall at Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, Long Island, New York, and Point Judith, Rhode Island. Cape Henry, Virginia, reported sustained winds at 134 MPH with gusts to 150 MPH. There were 46 civilian deaths and $100 million in damage from Cape Hatteras northward through the Maine coast. Cutters Jackson and Bedloe, and Lightship No. 73 on Vineyard Sound Station, foundered. All 12 of the lightship's crew perished. Only 30 of the 78 crewmen aboard the two cutters were saved. Two Navy vessels also foundered. A total of 344 perished at sea.

The Coast Guard remains at its highest state of alert and readiness since World War II, following the president?s authorized military action against the terrorist regime in Afghanistan. "Coast Guard air and sea patrols are keeping a watchful eye on all vessel movements around the clock in many of the more than 300 ports and 88,000 miles of U.S. coast and shoreline," said Lt. Cmdr. Brendan McPherson, a spokesman for the Coast Guard Atlantic Area command in Portsmouth. Ports from Boston to Texas are under tighter security than they have been in more than fifty years. The Coast Guard has stepped up both the frequency and vigilance of its armed patrols, which were significantly increased just hours after the World Trade Center and Pentagon attacks Sept. 11.

A new Coast Guard Maritime Safety and Security Team (MSST 91110) was commissioned on Oct. Vice Adm. James Hull, Coast Guard Atlantic Area Commander, presided as the official for the ceremony. Craig P. Coy, Chief Executive Officer of the Massachusetts Port Authority, was the guest speaker. MSSTs are domestic mobile units that possess specialized training and capabilities to perform a broad spectrum of port safety and security operations. They are modeled after the Coast Guard's Port Security Units (PSUs) and Law Enforcement Detachments (LEDETs). They will be staffed with Coast Guard men and women, ready to respond or deploy, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. MSST 91110 is the ninth Coast Guard anti-terrorism/force protection to be established.

The first U.S. Coast Guard Maritime Safety and Security Team (MSST) will be based in Seattle and commissioned on July 3, 2002, at the Integrated Support Command, located at Pier 36, Seattle, Wash. Coast Guard Commandant, Adm. Thomas H. Collins; Pacific Area Commander, Vice Adm. Terry M. Cross; and Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) will be attending the commissioning. Sen. Murray, who was instrumental in bringing an MSST to the Puget Sound, will be the keynote speaker. MSSTs are domestic mobile units that possess specialized training and capabilities to perform a broad spectrum of port safety and security operations. They are modeled after the Coast Guard’s Port Security Units (PSUs) and Law Enforcement Detachments (LEDETs).

New security regulations and specially trained port security teams are among the newest tools being employed in Operation Neptune Shield, the Coast Guard's plan for fighting the global war on terrorism here at home, as military operations continue against Taliban and Al-Qaida fighters overseas. "Since Sept. 11, the Coast Guard has implemented a multi-layered strategy for protecting our ports and waterways," said Atlantic Area Commander Vice Adm. Thad Allen. "Under Operation Neptune Shield, new regulations, additional resources and a closer working relationship with our intelligence and law enforcement partners have allowed us to harden our borders.

New security regulations and specially trained port security teams are among the newest tools being employed in Operation Neptune Shield, the Coast Guard's plan for fighting the global war on terrorism here at home, as military operations continue against Taliban and Al-Qaida fighters overseas. "Since Sept. 11, the Coast Guard has implemented a multi-layered strategy for protecting our ports and waterways," said Atlantic Area Commander Vice Adm. Thad Allen. "Under Operation Neptune Shield, new regulations, additional resources and a closer working relationship with our intelligence and law enforcement partners have allowed us to harden our borders.

By Journalist Seaman Apprentice S.C. USS Duluth (LPD 6) was presented with the Coast Guard Meritorious Unit Commendation during an awards ceremony on the ship's flight deck February 27. The award, comparable to the Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation, is granted to a unit of the Coast Guard for valorous or meritorious achievement, or for service by another branch of the military in support of Coast Guard operations. Duluth and her crew were awarded the honor for supporting Coast Guard Port Security Units (PSU) during Operation Iraqi Freedom from March to May 2003.

Maritime Safety and Security Team Houston-Galveston (MSST 91104), the U.S. Coast Guard’s newest weapon against terrorism, was commissioned in a formal ceremony Tuesday at 2 p.m., at the Galveston Cruise Ship Terminal in Galveston, Texas. Vice Adm. James Hull, U.S. Coast Guard Atlantic Area Commander, will be the presiding official and guest speaker for the ceremony. MSSTs are domestic mobile units that possess specialized training and capabilities to perform a broad spectrum of port safety and security operations. They will deploy in response to: terrorist threats or incidents; in support of national special events such as the Olympics, or storm recovery operations; protect military load-outs; enforce security zones during transit of high interest vessels, cruise ships and some U.S.