GANDHINAGAR: The Gujarat Maritime Board (GMB) Ports registered a strong growth over 7% between April-Feb of FY19 compared to the same period of the preceding year. During the period GMB Ports handled 360.63 MMT of cargo. Nearly 91.97% of crude oil was handled accounting for about 25.5%. 

 

In fact from meagre 3% in 1982-83, traffic at GMB Ports have consistently increased and during 2016-17 Non Major Ports of Gujarat handle about 31% of total national traffic. During the same period, share of Major Ports has decreased from 94% in 1982 to 57% in 2016-17, whereas Gujarat’s share accounts for 71.3% of traffic for Non-Major Ports of India  in 2016-17. During 2017-18, GMB Ports grew by 7.24% and had handled 371 MMT of cargo. The Major Ports grew by  4.77% during this term and handled 679.3 MMT of cargo.

 

Gujarat Maritime Board (GMB) has established itself as maritime leader in port development, privatisation and specialised cargo handling in India. It is also the first Maritime Board of the Country which was created up in 1982 with a vision "To enhance and harness ports and international trade as vehicles for economic development.

 

With foresighted thinking and strategically located longest coastline of 1600 kms, GMB charted a different and unexplored route of port development in 1980s. This was the era when major ports enjoyed monopoly over sea freight, 

with very little or no port capacity with State Governments.