SMP Kolkata records 8.4 pc growth in container handling in first quarter of 2026-27

Kolkata, Jul 7 (PTI) Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port, Kolkata (SMPK) registered an 8.4 per cent year-on-year growth in container handling during the first quarter of 2026-27, processing 2,53,945 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) across its Kolkata and Haldia dock systems, the port said on Tuesday. The port, which comprises the Kolkata Dock System (KDS) and Haldia Dock Complex (HDC), handled 2,34,272 TEUs in the corresponding quarter of the previous fiscal. Amid the quarterly growth, KDS on Monday achieved its highest-ever single-day container handling of 3,186 TEUs, surpassing the previous record of 3,081 TEUs set on June 12. The milestone coincided with the maiden berthing of a container vessel at the newly developed Berths 7 and 8 at Netaji Subhas Dock, which are being operated by JSW Infrastructure under a public-private partnership model. SMPK chairman Rathendra Raman said the quarterly growth and operational milestones reflected the port's continued focus on infrastructure modernisation, operational efficiency and customer-centric service delivery. "With ongoing modernisation initiatives and improved cargo handling systems, SMP Kolkata is well positioned to achieve higher benchmarks in the coming years," he said. PTI BSM MNB