Germany to collaborate with India to improve connectivity of Indian ports

Speed Post News Network

New Delhi: Union minister for Road Transport, Highways and Shipping Nitin Gadkari has said that India and Germany are all set to collaborate on projects for improving rail connectivity of Indian ports. He said the two countries will work together on projects worth Rs one lakh crore being implemented by the Indian Port Rail Corporation Ltd (IPRCL).

Gadkari held detailed discussions with his German counterpart and Infrastructure minister Alexander Dobrindt and his delegation in New Delhi on Friday regarding the modalities for such collaboration. Secretary Shipping Rajive Kumar, Secretary Road Transport & Highways Sanjay Mitra and other senior Officers of the two Ministries were also present. The Friday meeting was held in  the backdrop of an MoU signed between Indian Port Rail Corporation Ltd (IPRCL) and the German Railways Deutsche Bahn (DB) for cooperation on modernization of rail port connectivity and port rail facilities of Indian ports during the Maritime India Summit earlier this year . For efficient evacuation of cargo from the Ports and to reduce logistics cost, last mile rail connectivity of ports is extremely important. Indian port Rail Corporation Ltd. has been set up specifically to work in this area.

Gadkari further informed that Germany has also been invited to cooperate in the development of inland waterways including manufacturing of barges.

In the transport sector, discussions were held on cooperation for developing vehicle scrapping capacity in India. India has invited Germany to share environment friendly technology for scrapping of old vehicles and also for processing of the waste thus generated. Gadkari informed the German minister that India has put in place all required regulations for the use of Flex-fuel like ethanol mixed with petrol. He said that German automobile manufacturers can be called upon to produce cars that can run on flex-fuel for India like the ones being produced in Canada and USA, according to a PIB release