Visakhapatnam: In a tale of triumph turned turbulence, Visakhapatnam Port – the crown jewel of Andhra Pradesh’s maritime ambitions – has captured headlines with its dramatic journey in the latest World Bank “Container Port Performance Index (CPPI) 2020-2024: Trends and Lessons Learned”. Jointly Released by the World Bank and S&P Global Market Intelligence, the fifth edition of the index spotlights the port’s meteoric 2023 rise to 19th globally, only for it to slip to 70th in 2024 amid a perfect storm of global disruptions.
The CPPI, which benchmarks 405 ports worldwide on vessel turnaround times and container handling efficiency, paints a vivid picture of Visakhapatnam’s volatility. In 2023, the port soared to a stellar score of 118, clinching 19th place – the first Indian port to breach the top 20 – thanks to a 28% surge in container volumes to 6.65 lakh TEUs, slashing pre-berthing detention by 68% and berth idle time by 8%. Driven by operator Visakha Container Terminal Pvt Ltd., the port’s automated quay cranes and streamlined processes turned heads, outpacing rivals like Adani’s Mundra (27th). “This was a testament to our operational excellence,” said M. Angamuthu, Chairperson of Visakhapatnam Port Authority (VPA), in a statement echoing the report’s praise for berth-side innovations.
Fast-forward to 2024, and the score plummeted to 70, relegating the port to mid-tier status (exact rank ~70th out of 405). The slide, a 51-spot drop, stems from seaside bottlenecks: Anchor waits spiked 25-30% due to Red Sea crisis rerouting and Indian Ocean congestion, adding 5-7 hours per vessel call, per the report’s analysis. Global peers in East Asia, insulated from these shocks, surged ahead – claiming 14 of the top 20 slots – while South Asia’s regional average dipped 15%. “It’s relative performance at play,” notes Jan Hoffman, World Bank’s Global Lead for Maritime Transport.
Hopes of Rebound
For Andhra Pradesh, Visakhapatnam isn’t just a port – it’s an economic lifeline, supporting 5 lakh jobs in pharma, minerals, and seafood exports while anchoring the state’s blue economy vision.
Despite of CPPI decline in 2024, Visakhapatnam remains a powerhouse, shattering its annual cargo record with 82.62 million tonnes in FY 2024-25, a 12% increase. Key milestones include a May 2024 bauxite discharge of 5.04 lakh tonnes and 4.37 lakh tonnes of manganese ore, bolstered by its 1.35 million TEU container terminal capacity. Infrastructure upgrades under the Sagarmala program—deepening the inner channel, enhancing berth mechanization, and introducing green initiatives like shore power—underscore its resilience. The port aims for 90 million tonnes and over one million TEUs in FY 2025-26, leveraging predictive analytics to mitigate anchor delays.
