<p data-path-to-node="2"><b data-path-to-node="2" data-index-in-node="0">GANDHIDHAM</b> — The Deendayal Port Authority (DPA) in Kandla has achieved a historic milestone by becoming the fastest among all Major Port Authorities across India to breach the 50 Million Metric Tons (MMT) cargo handling mark in the current 2026–27 fiscal year. The premier major port officially crossed this monumental threshold today, reaching the target a remarkable 19 days ahead of the timeline established during the previous fiscal year, which recorded its 50 MMT milestone on August 3.</p><p data-path-to-node="3"><b data-path-to-node="3" data-index-in-node="0">Unprecedented Operational Acceleration</b></p><p data-path-to-node="3">

According to official performance logs released by the port administration, DPA has maintained a continuous, high-velocity operational cadence since the beginning of the financial year in April. Sourcing managers, freight forwarders, and industrial supply chain coordinators operating throughout northwestern India have heavily leveraged Kandla's expanded berth capacity to expedite bulk material processing, including crude oil imports, fertilizers, non-coking coal, and heavy machinery shipments. This surge in volume underscores the structural significance of Kandla as the principal maritime gateway feeding the industrial clusters of Gujarat, Rajasthan, Haryana, Punjab, and Delhi-NCR.</p><p data-path-to-node="4"><b data-path-to-node="4" data-index-in-node="0">Infrastructure and Multimodal Alignment</b></p><p data-path-to-node="4">

DPA Chairman Shri Sushil Kumar Singh highly commended the coordinated, relentless efforts of the port's trustees, operational team, labor unions, and key trade stakeholders, including shipping line agents, stevedores, and customs house clearing brokers.</p><p data-path-to-node="5">"Breaching the 50 MMT mark more than two and a half weeks ahead of last year's schedule is a definitive validation of our automated cargo handling systems, optimized vessel turnaround times, and user-friendly trade policies," the Chairman stated. "The seamless alignment of port operations with Indian Railways' cross-docking infrastructure and national highway connectivity has significantly lowered the dwell time of raw materials, ensuring that critical industrial loops experience no supply side bottlenecks. We remain steadfastly on track to break all previous annual throughput records by the close of this fiscal."</p><p data-path-to-node="6">Port operators note that technical infrastructure upgrades executed over the past year—including the deepening of drafts at specific cargo berths and the commissioning of higher-capacity automated mobile harbor cranes—have allowed the facility to efficiently berth larger dry bulk carriers and liquid tankers. This has effectively insulated domestic manufacturing ecosystems from external freight volatility by drastically compressing vessel stay times.</p>