Welcome to episode 37 of The Port Report from THE WEEK, with the latest updates from the maritime world for the week of October 24-30.
The Deendayal Port crossed the one-million-metric-tonne mark for the fifth time in October 2026 after it handled about 10 lakh metric tonnes on the 25th of the month.
We then come to the GRSE shipyard in Kolkata, which on October 29 laid the keel for the fifth CORAL 7,500-deadweight tonnage multi-purpose vessel (MPV) being built for the German firm, Carsten Rehder Schiffsmakler.
This vessel is also the first of four MPVs being built under a second contract that GRSE signed with the German company in October 2024. A third such contract was signed in September 2025 for four such hybrid-propulsion MPVs.
Comprising 12 vessels across three contracts, this is GRSE’s largest commercial shipbuilding order till date.
Next, the Paradip Port notified a number of year-on-year milestones so far in FY 2026-27.
While pig iron cargo handling grew six times to cross 660 metric tonnes, the steel pipe throughput also rose nearly fivefold.
Ammonium phosphate sulphate cargo handling also grew by more than 50 per cent to cross 200 metric tonnes, whereas metallurgical coke and low ash PCI coal both saw roughly 20 per cent boosts each.
The propane cargo throughput rose to about 221 metric tonnes, reflecting a 6 per cent rise.
Also, daily rake unloading reached 42.63 rakes per day from about 36.96 last fiscal, which adds a 15 per cent boost to the list of Paradip’s milestones this week.
Further south on the eastern coast is the Visakhapatnam Port, which set a new record in iron ore cargo handling, exporting 1 lakh 5 thousand 190 metric tonnes in just 23 hours.
We then come to Karnataka’s Udupi Cochin Shipyard, which on October 26 launched the Wilson Energy I, its largest vessel so far and the first in a series of eight 6,300-deadweight tonnage dry cargo ships for Norwegian shipping firm Wilson ASA.
The occasion was further marked by the keel laying of the third vessel, and the steel cutting of the fifth vessel.
Next, the V.O. Chidambaranar Port on October 24 crossed the 25 million-metric-tonne mark this fiscal, which marks a major milestone for cargo handling at the major port.
Finally, Union shipping minister Sarbananda Sonowal's Korea visit from October 25-28 revealed important updates about the upcoming greenfield shipbuilding cluster in Tamil Nadu's Tuticorin, valued at roughly ₹38,000 crore.
A joint working group will now take charge of project development, the shipping ministry said in a statement, after Sonowal met with HD Hyundai chairman Chung Ki Sun in Seoul.
It added that talks were on to decide the structure of a joint venture to handle the project, with a Detailed Project Report (DPR) to be finalised within six months.
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.
