VIJAYAWADA: Krishnapatnam Port Co. Ltd (KPCL) will register 16 per cent growth by the end of the current financial year, according to KPCL CEO Anil Yendluri.
Interacting with aspiring and budding entrepreneurs at the launch of logo for Next Gen, an initiative of the Andhra Chambers of Commerce and Industry Federation (ACCIF)here Thursday, Anil said the best management practices and sincere efforts have made it possible.
“We have ensured that our port is clean from mafia mafia elements,” he said. KPCL will have handled 41 million tonnes of cargo by the end of the financial year which is more than the cargo handled by Gangavaram and Kakinada ports, he added.
Stating that his company was aiming to surpass the tonnage of cargo handled by Chennai Port, Anil expressed confidence that the target would be achieved in the near future.
“After this, we shall try to cross the cargo levels handled at the Visakhapatnam port,” he said.
He expalined how KPCL was launched on the path of profits by shifting focus from handling of iron ore to coal and claimed that it was the only port in the country that could handle huge cape vessels with ease.
Anil said the port was clearing coal stocks using 20 trains that transport 12 lakh tonnes.
“Indian Railways benefits the most from us and Vijayawada division gets 60 per cent of its freight revenue from Krishnapatnam,” he said.
Transparency and hassle-free procedures were the factors that were keeping the port ahead of others, he revealed.
Asked what he thought about the proposed 10 ports along the 900-km coast in the state, he said theoretically the proposal looked workable but practically it would be difficult.
“For instance, the tough geological profile of Machilipatnam area will prove to be a big challenge for development of a port in the area. Most importantly, we have to have enough cargo for the ports to handle. Somewhere around 35 to 40 million tonnes of cargo will be a safe bet. The state does not have enough cargo for the proposed ports. Hence, the stress should be on creation of cargo firs, which will push up the demand for more ports,” he explained and opined the proposed development of ports was not a short-term one but are part of very long-term development plans.