Third-party cargo to be half of total in 3-5 years: Essar Ports MD & CEO

Rajiv Agarwal also lists technology upgrades, which will see Rs 350 crore worth of investments, as another priority

Essar Ports, one of India’s largest private-sector port operators, is banking on third-party cargo to ramp up its capacity utilisation and drive profitability. The company expects third-party cargo’s share of total throughput to reach 50 per cent over the next three to five years — twice as much as it is currently. In an interview with Jayajit Dash, Essar Ports Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Rajiv Agarwal listed technology upgrades, which will see Rs 350 crore worth of investments, as another priority. Edited excerpts:

Ramping up cargo capacities across facilities has been a thrust area for Essar Ports.