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India's biggest state-run, Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority (JNPA), in Mumbai completes 34 years of operations on Friday (May 26) and now ranks among the World Bank report of ports that turn around box ships in just 22 hours.

The latest World Bank's Logistics Performance Index (LPI) Report, 2023 observed that the JNPA 'turns around' box ships in mere 22 hours (or just 0.9 day), which is considered among the best in the world.

This distinction came after another superlative performance by the port this year - hitting a record high cargo volume of 6.05 Million TEUs till March 2023.

Joining the celebrations on the eve of the 34th anniversary on Thursday, Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal lavished praise on the JNPA, terming it as "a world class port that has run parallel to India's rise as an economic power. The port has played a very major role in moving goods in steel containers as containerisation became entrenched in the global supply chain".

"The efficiency and productivity parameters displayed by JNPA compare well with the best in the world. This was made possible through a combination of private partners and port management working as a team to the benefit of India's export-import community," said Sonowal.

Nestling in the lap of the country's commercial capital, JNPA has emerged as "an epitome of excellence, revolutionizing the maritime landscape with its state-of-the-art infrastructure, cutting-edge technology, and unwavering commitment to efficiency and customer satisfaction" over the past more than three decades.

Starting with a humble initiative to decongest the Mumbai Port Authority (MPA), JNPA has risen to become one of the most advanced and sought-after ports in the region, handling more than 50 percent of India's container cargo traffic shipped by sea and serving as a crucial gateway for international trade.

The JNPA is the only port in the country where the world's top three container terminal operators - PSA International, D P World and A P M Terminals - runs facilities, and it's the calling port of all the biggest container shipping lines to load and unload the steel boxes carrying varied cargo.

As the country plans to become a USD Five Trillion economy, the JNPA will be a feather in the cap through all stakeholders, continuous innovations, expansion and service excellence to make it a global maritime hub, said JNPA Chairman Sanjay Sethi.

Commemorating the milestone event, Sonowal honoured and felicitated the top performers among the trade and JNPA employees, said an official.