Essar Ports drives dialogue on future-ready ports infrastructure at ET Now Infra Focus Summit and Awards 2024

The 9th ET NOW Infra Focus Summit and Awards 2024, held on 19th September at ITC Maurya in Delhi brought together leading industry figures and policymakers to discuss the vital role of infrastructure in shaping India’s vision for 2047. The event served as a platform for thought leadership on sustainable development, with a particular emphasis on the future of India’s ports and infrastructure. Essar Ports was proud to serve as the silver sponsor of the summit. As a key player in the logistics sector, Essar Ports was prominently represented by Mr. Rajiv Agarwal, Managing Director and CEO. During a panel discussion titled ‘Viksit Bharat 2047’ – Setting the Vision’, Mr. Agarwal shared insights on the significant progress made in the ports sector and the challenges that lie ahead. The panel, moderated by Rahul Kamat, Editor of the B2B Division at The Times Group, also featured esteemed speakers, including Sanjay Kulshrestha, Chairman & Managing Director of HUDCO; Sudhir Hoshing, CEO-Execution of IRB Infrastructure Developers Ltd.; Christoph Schnellmann, Chief Executive Officer of Noida International Airport; and Rahul Garg, Founder and CEO of Moglix. Together, they explored the future of sustainable infrastructure and its critical importance in driving India’s growth and environmental goals. In his address, Rajiv Agarwal emphasised the advancements made in the ports sector over the past decade, particularly in enhancing capacity and efficiency. He noted that India’s port utilisation currently stands at around 70%, highlighting ongoing improvements in ship types and service availability. As the country aims to become a $30 trillion economy, Mr. Agarwal stressed the need for increasing port capacity to support anticipated trade growth. He discussed the importance of coastal shipping and a hub-and-spoke model to optimise the use of smaller jetties, which could be converted for commercial purposes. Furthermore, he highlighted the necessity of multimodal transportation and logistics hubs, asserting that efficient connections between ports and other transport modes—like rail and road—are crucial for reducing costs and enhancing trade efficiency. Mr. Agarwal also acknowledged the shift towards green infrastructure as both a challenge and an opportunity for the ports sector. He pointed out that as India reduces its reliance on fossil fuels, ports will become essential in exporting green hydrogen and other alternative energy sources, transforming them into key energy hubs that contribute to the country’s sustainability goals.