From green tugs to onshore power supply for vessels, a slew of projects is coming up at Chennai and Kamarajar Ports, Sunil Paliwal, Chairman, Chennai Port Authority, said here on Thursday.

While speaking at the sixth edition of the Southern Regional Shipping Conclave, organised by the Southern India Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SICCI) and the Association of Multimodal Transport Operators of India (AMTOI), he said the State was pushing for port automation and sustainability. He noted how green tugs at the ports would lower carbon emissions substantially.

Mr. Paliwal spoke on the adoption of the latest technologies at the ports. “For the first time in the country, we have attempted to provide onshore power to commercial vessels at Kamarajar Port,” he said. He added that a modern parking plaza had been built to decrease congestion at Chennai Port.

“Also, a multi-modal logistics park, an important project that is part of the National Logistics Policy, is coming up, and its first phase will be implemented in February 2026,” he added.

Naveen Prakash, chair, SICCI supply chain management, and director, Global Logistics, said the logistics and shipping landscape was undergoing a significant shift. “What was once a largely manufacturing sector is now rapidly transforming, powered by automation, artificial intelligence, block chain, internet of things, and real-time data platforms. This convergence of technology is not only improving cross efficiency and delivery accuracy but also fundamentally redefining the way we think about logistics,” he added.

Bana Bihari Nayak, Managing Director, Tamil Nadu Apex Skill Development Centre for Logistics, said the State government had established the centre to address the critical need of developing human capital for the ever-expanding logistics sector. Over 1.84 lakh individuals have been trained so far through initiatives including the Naan Mudhalvan Scheme, he added.