0203 488 9447
India carries on to invest in digitization of port services for greater supply chain efficiency and transparency following the noteworthy progress cited by the World Bank and other global financial institutions in their recent doing-business assessments for the emerging market economy. It will be convenient to send cargo to India around the globe.
Authorities have moved up a vastly improved, more ample port community system (PCS) — an integrated, central portal intended to connect all players in the supply chain network such as terminals, transport service benefactors, and related intermediaries, under a solo window module.
The refurbished system, labelled the PCS 1X, is a progression of various changes applied in response to feedback received during public consultations after the government former this year told all stakeholders to join the platform to create a more harmonized business environment. The digital program has been in place at key port locations for the past few years.
The crucial aim of digital portal is to flawlessly assimilate all members of the port community and also to make available an electronic platform to act as a single window to exchange messages, which is an optimistic step towards improving communication and productivity, and reduction in transaction costs at Indian chief ports, said the Indian Ports Association (IPA), in a trade declaration. The IPA is the nodal agency for this countrywide automation project.
Fundamentally, under Port Community System, shareholders can handle functions related to issue delivery orders, transport instructions, distribution gate schedules, gate in bookings, and pre gate agendas, electronically instead of keeping in hard copy form, which is a process that typically encompasses long delays and lacks cargo visibility.
A Ministry of Shipping statement said that the PCS 1X is a cloud based, new generation tool, with a user friendly edge. This system faultlessly assimilates eight new stake holders, besides the 19 existing stakeholders from the marine trade on a single platform.
With PCS 1X being more responsive than the previous module, authorities have confidence that the data sharing processes will become more proficient and swifter as customs authorities have boarded on an application programming interface (API) based connectivity to assist real time interaction.
The Indian Ports Association added the statement that the system enables the single sign on ability to provide a one stop interface to all the functionalities across all stakeholders. Another main feature is the deployment of a world class, state of the art expense aggregator key, which eliminates dependency on a bank specific payment system.
Further, the new-fangled application features a track and trace, end to end solution which is a key invention that can go a long way to keep pace with rapidly progressing trade dynamics.
Highlighting additional functionalities, the IPA stated that the advanced/broader PCS rollout will transform India’s ports into world class, technology focussed nautical centres, a development that is grave in maximizing the gains from ongoing government improvements intended to increase economic growth.
The IPA also said the digital exchange currently creates about 1.5 million transactions per month, with average revenue secured at about $56 million. That electronic port procedure balances other technological advancements underway at major or minor ports across the country.
Most notably, gate automation and radio frequency identification technology empowered container tracking services as a segment of the larger program to minimize cargo dwell times. These initiatives would particularly benefit those shippers using Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT) the busiest container harbour of India.
Finally, those transformation and digitization efforts have had a momentous impact on India’s ease of doing business competitiveness. As India has risen 53 positions in just two years to 77th out of 190 nations recorded in the World Bank’s latest report.
PCS 1X would have improved communication with the customs enabling real time interaction. The platform proposes value added services such as notification engine, workflow, mobile app, track and trace, much better security system with an enhanced inclusion by offering a dashboard for those with no IT capability.
The statement said that the system bids a database that actions as a single data point for all transactions. It captures and stocks data on its first occurrence thereby reducing manual intervention, the necessity to enter transaction data at several points and thereby lessening errors in the process.
It added that the scheme is also an initiative that supports green initiatives by diminishing dependency on paper. The platform has the potential to transform maritime trade in India and bring it at par with global best applies and pave the path to improve the Ease of Doing Business Worldwide.
