Foreign ships can call at one Indian port and Vallarpadam as cabotage eases

THE Indian government intends to ease the rigid cabotage law on a trial basis to allow foreign-flagged containerships to take cargo between one Indian port of their choice and the International Container Transhipment Terminal (ICTT) port at Vallarpadam, Cochin.

Indian shipowners oppose the idea, but DP World, the Vallarpadam terminal operator, argue that without such an easement, foreign-flagged ships would divert to Colombo, Singapore, Salalah or Jebel Ali, discouraging ships from making India's ICTT a hub port.