Jawaharlal Nehru Port

Jawaharlal Nehru Port, also known as JNPT, Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust, Jawarharlal Nehru Port Authority Nhava Sheva Port, is a large container port in India. Operated by the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust Authority (JNPTA), it is located on the eastern shores of Arabian Sea in Navi Mumbai, Raigad district, Maharashtra. This port can be accessed via Uran, a nodal city of Navi Mumbai. It is the main port of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region, also of Maharashtra and Western India. Its common name derives from the names of Nhava and Sheva (new sheva) villages that are situated here. It is also the terminal of the Western Dedicated Freight Corridor. As of January 2023, the port is undergoing upgrades with the help of a loan agreement signed between the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and Nhava Sheva Freeport Terminal Private Limited (NSFTPL). The loan of $131 million will be used to improve the terminal's infrastructure, increase its container handling capacity, upgrade existing berths and yards, and install energy-efficient equipment. The upgrades aim to attract vessels and make international trade more efficient, transparent and sustainable. History The port was established on 26 May 1989 and became the second largest and premier container handling port in India, surpassing the capacity of 4 million TEUs (Twenty-foot equivalent units) in containers between 2016 and 2021. JNP consists of a full-fledged customs house, 30 container freight stations and connectivity to 52 inland container depots across the country. The hinterland connectivity both by rail and road is being further strengthened by ongoing projects like the Dedicated Freight Corridor (DFC), which will increase the existing train capacity from 27 to 100 trains per day; Multi-Modal Logistics Park (MMLP) and widening of the port's connecting roads. Its proximity to the cities of Mumbai, Navi Mumbai and Pune; airports, hotels, exhibition centres, etc. gives the port an edge in efficiency and promptness to address the shippers’ needs. In 2006, the port implemented the logistics data tagging of containers. JNPT houses India’s best logistics connectivity with facilitation from container freight stations and logistics parks owned by government as well as private players namely Maharashtra State Warehousing Corporation, DRT, Gateway District Park, Allcargo, Avashya, Continental Warehousing, Ameya Logistics, TransIndia and Contegrate Entrepot. JNPT authorities have been trying to implement direct port delivery model of the containers, a first of its kind model promoted to ease doing business in India. Nhava Sheva Freeport container terminal The JNP Trust (JNPT) Container Terminal was originally operated by JNPT. It has a quay length of 680 metres (2,230 ft) with 3 berths. In 2023 Nhava Sheva Freeport Terminal Private Limited commenced operations of the terminal (renamed to the NSFT terminal) and plans to enhance it to handle 1.8 million TEUs by 2025. Nhava Sheva International container terminal The Nhava Sheva International Container Terminal (NSICT) was originally leased to a consortium led by P&O, a part of DP World. Commissioned in July 2000, it has a 600 metres (2,000 ft) quay length with two berths. It was intended to handle up to 62.15 million tonnes of cargo. NSICT was India’s first privately managed container terminal. GTI-APM container terminal In the year 2006, GTI (Gateway Terminals India Pvt Ltd) commissioned a third container terminal operated by APM Terminals, with the capacity to handle 1.3 million TEUs. Bharat Mumbai container terminal The fourth container terminal, Bharat Mumbai Container Terminal (BMCT), is developed and operated by PSA International. Phase 1 with capacity of 2.4 million TEUs was completed in Dec 2017. The terminal was planned to have full capacity of 4.8 million TEUs p.a. and a quay length of 2,000 meters with the completion of Phase 2. Nhava Sheva (India) Gateway container terminal A new standalone container terminal by the name of NSIGT, having a quay length of 330 meters and a capacity of 0.8 million TEUs was operational in July 2016. Traffic Major exports from Jawaharlal Nehru Port are textiles, sporting goods, carpets, textile machinery, boneless meat, chemicals, and pharmaceuticals. The main imports are chemicals, machinery, plastics, electrical machinery, vegetable oils, and aluminium and other non-ferrous metals. The port handles cargo traffic mostly originating from or destined for Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Karnataka, as well as most of North India. Export Logistics and Cargo Workflow 1. Warehouse Dispatch and Container Stuffing The export cycle originates at the exporter's factory or commercial warehouse. Depending on the exporter's legal authorizations, cargo is processed via one of two primary pathways: Factory Stuffing (Self-Sealing): Eligible exporters with a valid Importer-Exporter Code (IEC) and an approved Authorised Economic Operator (AEO) status pack the goods directly into shipping containers at their own warehouse. The packages must feature stencil marking (handwritten markings or paper stickers are prohibited by customs regulations to prevent fraud and product substitution). Once packed, the exporter applies an electronic Central Excise/Customs self-seal (RFID bottle seal) to the container doors. Inland Container Depot (ICD) / Container Freight Station (CFS) Stuffing: If the exporter does not have self-sealing permissions, cargo is loaded loose onto domestic trucks at the warehouse and transported to a local ICD or one of the active CFS hubs surrounding Nhava Sheva. Here, the loose cargo is examined, aggregated, and stuffed into ocean containers under the direct supervision of customs officials. 2. Customs Filing via ICEGATE Before the container can move toward the port, the exporter’s licensed Customs House Agent (CHA) initiates the electronic data interchange (EDI) protocol. The CHA uploads the Commercial Invoice, Packing List, and product classifications (using the correct 8-digit Harmonized System or HS Code) to the Indian Customs Electronic Gateway (ICEGATE) portal. The system generates a Shipping Bill, which serves as the primary legal declaration for the export shipment. 3. Transit and CFS Gate-In Containers moving by road travel via National Highway 348 (JNPT Road) toward the port area. Non-local cargo arriving from India's landlocked hinterlands is transported via rail rakes operated by Container Corporation of India (CONCOR) and private rail operators, routing directly through the Western Dedicated Freight Corridor into the Nhava Sheva rail yard. Per Jawaharlal Nehru Custom House (JNCH) directives, even factory-sealed containers are not allowed direct entry into the marine terminal gates. Instead, they must first route through a designated CFS or a central Buffer Yard for electronic gate-in verification and automated system profiling. 4. Customs Examination and Let Export Order (LEO) Upon arrival at the CFS or Buffer Yard, the container's paperwork is cross-checked through the Customs Risk Management System (RMS): Green Channel (Faceless Assessment): Containers with low-risk profiles bypass physical checks. If the electronic declarations are compliant and the RFID seals are verified intact, the system fast-tracks the approval. Physical Examination: Shipments flagged by the RMS or targeting specific restricted commodities are grounded. Customs preventive officers break the seal to physically inspect the cargo's valuation, quantity, and export compliance. Once approved, the container is re-sealed with an official Customs high-security bottle seal. Let Export Order (LEO): Once satisfied, the Superintendent of Customs issues the legal Let Export Order (LEO). This is the mandatory statutory clearance required before any material can legally leave Indian territory. 5. Terminal Gate-In and Verified Gross Mass (VGM) Following the LEO, the terminal operator issues an electronic gate-in permit. VGM Compliance: In compliance with the International Maritime Organization's SOLAS conventions, the container must be weighed. The Verified Gross Mass (VGM) is electronically logged to ensure safe stowage planning on the vessel. Automated Gate System (AGS): The truck arrives at the designated marine terminal gate (such as NSICT, GTI, or BMCT). JNPA's Automated Gate System utilizes Optical Character Recognition (OCR) cameras and license plate scanners to automatically match the container number, truck chassis, and customs documentation. If the data aligns, the gate opens, and an Equipment Interchange Receipt (EIR) is printed for the driver, specifying the precise yard slot coordinate. 6. Yard Stacking and Vessel Loading Inside the high-capacity terminal yard, Rubber Tyred Gantry (RTG) cranes or Rail Mounted Gantry (RMG) cranes lift the container off the truck trailer and stack it in designated export blocks based on the shipping line, weight category, and destination port. When the container ship docks, heavy-duty Quay Cranes (shore cranes) transfer the container from the yard onto the vessel according to a pre-computed vessel stowage plan. Once the shipping line confirms the container has been successfully loaded on board, a Bill of Lading is generated, completing the physical export workflow at JNPT. References See also List of ports in India Mumbai Port Navi Mumbai International Airport Ports in India Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways Uran City and Industrial Development Corporation Mumbai Port Trust Mumbai Trans Harbour Link Navi Mumbai References External links Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT) Jawaharlal Nehru Custom House