Indian Ports Association Appoints Tech Mahindra as Managed Service Provider for Five Major Ports

As part of its efforts to promote ease of doing business through digital transformation and build a world-class port infrastructure in the country, the Indian Ports Association (IPA) has appointed Tech Mahindra as the managed service provider for the five major ports at Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Deendayal Port, and Paradip Port Trust.

This initiative is a major step towards integrating the maritime sector and fostering growth and development of major public sector ports in the country.

Tech Mahindra is partnering with world-class leading players like SAP, Envision, CISCO, Dell, RTCom, and other major players. IPA has hired global consultancy services firm Ernst Young to assist in conceptualizing Port-EBS and support IPA and ports in the implementation of this transformational initiative, said India’s Ministry of Shipping in a release.

The proposed enterprise business system will comprise of three core solution components - port operations solution, standard ERP solutions, and auxiliary solutions. It would tightly integrate with port community system (PCS) and other retained applications of ports, enterprise business standard processes and shared infrastructure on the cloud, making it next generation modern system which will serve ports purpose in coming years.

The system would be driven by transparent, simple and error-free business processes, easily measured by clearly defined key performance indicators, use the latest technology to achieve strategic business objectives and integrate seamlessly with prevalent systems and devices.

The solution proposes a cafeteria approach for ports, which allows them to select the systems that they want to be implemented as per their needs. This model enables minimal efforts in a seamless manner if new ports opt to join the system in near future.

The project implementation and stabilisation period are 20 months and operations and maintenance support are for 5 years.

The five major port trusts, Mumbai Port Trust, Kolkata Port Trust, Chennai Port Trust, Deendayal Port Trust, and Paradip Port Trust have come together in this collaborative effort towards building a common shared platform for modernization and automation of port processes. The key benefits from the system in port and shipping sector include:

--Improve India’s ranking in Ease of doing business

--Enable faster request processing in the delivery of services with a better turnaround time

--Reduction in manual intervention/documentation required

--Reduction in overall Transaction time and costs

--Improve the efficiency of port operations, quick turn round of vessel and subsequent less dwell time

--Dashboard to ports/MOS for Real-Time MIS on cargo/ship movements & Exim           transactions

--Simplified and accelerated procedures for cargo entry, exit or transit

--Enhanced transparency across systems.