Reimagining ports

Sushil Kumar Singh may have only stepped into his current position as Chair of Deendayal Port Authority six months ago, but he brings with him 27 years of experience in developing, managing and revitalizing transportation systems.

After 25 years with Indian Railways, Singh spent the past two years with the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, overseeing 12 major port facilities. This has given him a vast wealth of knowledge on how to incorporate emerging technologies and best practices into existing infrastructure.

“At the Ministry, I was involved in policy-making and promoting public–private partnerships,” Singh tells The CEO Magazine. “So coming to this role, I had a good idea of the technology gaps and inefficiencies that needed to be addressed for the sector as a whole.”

Turning his attention specifically to Deendayal Port, Singh has set in motion a modernization and expansion plan that is already bearing fruit after a few short months.

“India is migrating its ports toward the landlord model,” he says. “The core and basic infrastructure is built by the port authorities, but the operations and the commercial part are taken over by the private operators because they have better efficiencies and technologies to handle it.”

A visionary future

Thanks to a combination of finding the right partners and a supportive attitude from the Indian government, Singh believes that conditions are perfect to enact the sort of sweeping changes that are being envisaged by the Ministry of Ports and enabled by emerging technologies.

“The government has created an atmosphere and ecosystem where the professionals are given authority to make decisions quickly, structure projects flexibly and focus on speed and scale,” he explains.

In collaboration with

J M Baxi Group

A century-old logistics conglomerate that excels in marine services. A century-old logistics conglomerate that excels in marine services.

For Deendayal Port, this provides the impetus necessary for development on a much larger scale than in the past. Strategically located on India’s western coast, close to the Suez Canal, and poised to take advantage of both the India–Middle East–Europe Economic Corridor and International North–South Transport Corridor, Deendayal Port has the makings of a world-leading maritime trade and logistics hub.

Singh’s strategy to realize the port’s potential broadly relies on two factors: modernization efforts and creating a green hydrogen hub.

“Mechanization and automation will unlock a huge amount of new capacity,” Singh states confidently. “We’re bringing in more modern cranes and cargo handling equipment, improving the condition of roads and developing new projects for hinterland connectivity.

“Green hydrogen will be a game-changer as we create a whole ecosystem built around its production and transportation.”

The ready availability of land is a crucial strength for Deendayal Port Authority and Singh intends to use it to the fullest. Around 3,400 hectares have been allotted to entice leading industry players to set up green hydrogen production facilities, with a view to producing five-to-six million metric tons per annum.

This ambitious plan will require around 10–12 gigawatts of on-site renewable energy capacity. If Singh and his team can successfully create this ecosystem of renewable energy and green hydrogen production, supported by advanced logistical infrastructure, Deendayal Port will become the biggest producer, transporter and consumption point for renewable energy in India.

Feedback and improvement

While achieving the grand strategy will undoubtedly be a long, complex process, the initial steps have been markedly simple and direct.

“The first thing I did was ask all the stakeholders for their feedback on any small changes needed to make the port procedures more user-friendly,” Singh recalls.

“Whatever they suggested, we took it at face value and enacted it immediately. They’re on the ground, they know the systems and they know how they can be improved.”

Without any further delays or research, these quick changes led to an increase in the port’s overall cargo throughput by almost eight percent – just by tweaking the business processes based on the suggestions given by the port users.

Respecting and listening to partners of every size and sector is at the core of Singh’s business philosophy. Given the scale and time frames involved with developing next-generation port infrastructure, engendering long-term partnerships based on trust is essential.

“We have a 30-year contract with the likes of Adani, J M Baxi and DP World. These are big names and big commitments are being made on both sides,” Singh reveals.

“They bring in the new technologies, so it’s on us to listen carefully to how we can best support them and their specific needs. Regular communication and transparent cooperation – that’s the only way we can build a port ecosystem of this scale and efficiency.”

While progress is being made daily and steadily accelerating, Singh is eager to realize a vision of Deendayal Port Authority leading the commercialization of an emerging industry with boundless potential for India’s energy industry and wider economic future.

Green hydrogen is increasingly being viewed as fertile ground for decarbonizing whole industrial sectors within decades. With the right port facilities, India could quickly become a global exporter for a product with skyrocketing demand.

Singh insists that this future outcome cannot be achieved without a tech-driven approach. Scalability will be key for harnessing the benefits of green hydrogen production while also catering to more traditional cargo.

“I cannot overstate the importance of embedding new technologies into our port infrastructure,” he says. “Automation and advanced data capture systems – these innovations will give us the ability to make information-based decision-making that will drive efficiency.

“If we can get this right, working hand in hand with our partners, this port will stand out as one of the best in the country.”

In collaboration with

J M Baxi Group

A century-old logistics conglomerate that excels in marine services. A century-old logistics conglomerate that excels in marine services. Read More