Chennai and Kamarajar Ports are targeting throughput of 100 MT for FY24

Paliwal said that in 2023, the port of Kamarajar handled 48 tons and the port of Chennai 52 tons. From 2022 to 2023, the total cargo throughput of the two ports was 92.45 tons, with the ports of Chennai and Kamarajar respectively handling about 48.94 tons and 43.51 tons of cargo.

At a press conference this Monday, Paliwal mentioned that the Port of Chennai had reported operating income of about £943 million and a surplus of £150 million for fiscal year 2022-2023, the highest in 13 years.

He further explained that in FY23, Kamarajar Port surpassed the 1,000 billion mark for the first time. KPL recorded a surplus of ₹670 crores in 2022-2023, a 24.39% increase from the previous year. In addition, 2023-24 will also be the full year that Paliwal will be chairman of these two ports.

The Port of Chennai is reportedly the third oldest major port in the country after Mumbai and Kolkata. The port handles all types of clean cargo such as containers, vehicles, liquid bulk, general cargo and heavy machinery, with the proportion of containerized cargo accounting for 60% while liquid bulk accounting for about 30%.

Paliwal said the port of Chennai attacked 37 cruise ships carrying 85,000 guests in 2022 and 2023.

We had a Cordelia cruise ship on and off from June through September. There are expectations for cruise services from June. He added that new cruise lines like MSC Cruises are also showing interest.

Cruise itineraries are always set two years in advance. Some cruise majors consider the port of Mumbai as a zone on the west coast and a hub in the port of Chennai on the east coast.

Both ports exported about 3.8 lakh vehicles in 2022-2023.

Paliwal mentioned that Chennai Port’s auto exports increased by 35% while Kamarajar Port’s export figures were impacted during the year due to the closure of Ford’s Chennai plant.

However, he added that the Port of Chennai has signed new deals with Isuzu and Maruti, while Toyota has returned in a big way.

So they more than covered Ford’s loss and managed to stay in positive territory. In addition, the Renault Nissan Alliance recently extended its contract with Kamarajar Port for the next five years. Paliwal said they are the largest exporters of cars in the nation.