Welcome to episode 34 of The Port Report from THE WEEK, with the latest updates from the world of ports for the week of October 3-9.
The barge DLB Patkai on October 5 set sail for the Pangaon Port in Bangladesh after departing from Assam's revamped Bogibeel Inland Water Transport (IWT) Terminal with 540 metric tonnes of industrial methanol.
ALSO READ | Unlocking the Brahmaputra: Bogibeel terminal's first export since 1947 leads inland waterways revival
This is touted as the first inland cargo transport from upper Assam to a foreign port since 1947.
Next, the Deendayal Port crossed the 100 million-metric-tonne mark on October 6—51 days earlier than it did in the previous fiscal.
It again broke its own national record in single-day cargo handling, announcing on October 3 that it had handled 14.03 lakh metric tonnes.
This comes just a day after the port announced it had hit a record single-day throughput of 9.63 lakh metric tonnes.
Moving on, the Paradip Port recorded more than 33 per cent year-on-year growth in iron ore pellet handling for September 2026, handling more than 7 lakh metric tonnes.
Steel slab cargo handling tripled over the same period, crossing 72,000 metric tonnes, while both urea and dolomite cargo throughputs doubled to reach 52,500 metric tonnes each.
Average daily thermal coal rake unloading also rose to 39.11 rakes per day in September 2026, as compared to 33.98 rakes per day in September 2025.
Also, the Paradip Mahanadi Terminal Private Limited was set up by Adani Ports as per its October 6 filing.
This new company will be responsible for the development and operation of the port’s CQ-I and CQ-2 berths, which are expected to add 18 million metric tonnes of new capacity to the mega port.
Next, the Jawaharlal Nehru Port handled more than 8.35 lakh TEUs of container cargo in September 2026, registering a 28.63 per cent year-on-year boost. Overall throughput also grew by more than 18 per cent to reach 9.90 million metric tonnes.
Moving on, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on October 6 launched the first indigenously designed Fleet Support Ship, Surya, built at Hindustan Shipyard Limited (HSL) in Visakhapatnam.
He also laid the keel of the fifth Fleet Support Ship, FSS-5, and inaugurated the upgraded Slipway-4 and a 300-tonne Goliath Crane at the shipyard.
The new ships will provide at-sea replenishment and sustained support to naval operations.
Next, the Chennai Port Authority (ChPA) has launched a digital system, 'Port Setu', to better track the movement of export containers on the road between inland warehouses and the port gate.
ALSO READ | Chennai Port gets tech boost: 'Port Setu' to ease container movement; IMD to replace weather radar in 2027
The launch marks the first phase of the Intelligent Vehicle Monitoring System that is being implemented as a part of the Centre's One Nation One Port Process initiative.
The port is also set to get a replacement for its S-band Doppler weather radar in 2027 from the India Meteorological Department (IMD).
Moving on, Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL) on October 8 began construction on three next-generation battery-electric TRAnsverse 2600e tugs for the Danish towage giant Svitzer.
ALSO READ | Cochin Shipyard starts building 3 next-gen electric tugs for Danish salvage giant Svitzer
This is a follow-up deal for four such tugs that began construction in September.
Also, on October 9, the shipbuilder told the stock exchanges that media reports had misrepresented Union shipping minister Sarbananda Sonowal's ‘40 orders’ remark as fresh orders.
It added that those 40 orders from across the globe were already part of its existing orderbook, and were in various stages of development.
On the same day, it also announced that its subsidiary, Hooghly Cochin Shipyard Limited, had received an order from Heritage River Journeys Private Limited for two luxury river cruise vessels.
Finally, the V.O. Chidambaranar Port quadrupled its phosphoric acid throughput during April to September in FY 2026-27, as compared to the previous fiscal.
That's all from Port Report with THE WEEK, and we'll see you next week. For more updates from the maritime sector, visit the special microsite at theweek.in.
