A delegation of Port of Antwerp-Bruges, headed by Luc Arnouts, Vice President International Networks and Relations, is on a five-day visit to India to renew the ties between the port, Indian officials and the captains of industry of various economic sectors.
The delegation. comprising senior representatives of the Antwerp-Bruges Port Authority, APEC (Antwerp/Flanders Port Training Center), Port of Antwerp-Bruges International (consultancy, management solutions, strategic investments and training) and NxtPort International (neutral data exchange platform), will be meeting industry stakeholders in Delhi, Mumbai and Chennai.
“Port of Antwerp-Bruges has been actively engaged in India for a long time and has had a representation office in Mumbai since 2006. India is an important trade partner and exports from India to Europe via Port of Antwerp-Bruges include steel, project cargo, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, automotive components and engineering goods,” the port authority said in a statement.
The recent initiatives of the Indian government to boost the logistics sector and reduce logistics cost offer a substantial opportunity for Port of Antwerp-Bruges, it said, adding, “The port expects that these key initiatives will see this sector grow at an unprecedented rate.”
The port authority further said that the National Hydrogen Mission of India is a very interesting development, and the port’s mission is to become one of the main ports for the import of green hydrogen to be used in industrial clusters in Europe.
In 2015, Antwerp/Flanders Port Training Center, which has been active in training people working in the port sector since 1977, set up a training centre at the port of Mumbai, in co-operation with Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority.
“In close cooperation with the training institute, private players and other authorities in India, Port of Antwerp-Bruges International supports projects by sharing expertise. There are collaborations with amongst others IITM (Indian Institute of Technologies Madras), Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port Kolkata and Haldia dock Complex. The Maritime Indian Vision 2030-2047 offers additional opportunities in supporting ports in reaching their targets,” it said.
