Gaurav Dayal appointed as chairman of JNPA; Cargo volumes soar at 13%

The government has appointed Gaurav Dayal, an experienced Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of the Uttar Pradesh cadre, as the new full-time Chairman of the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority (JNPA).

The appointment, cleared by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet on October 11, fills a key leadership position at India's busiest state-owned container gateway.

The port has been without a full-time Chairman since Sanjay Sethi completed his five-year tenure in January 2024. In the interim, Deputy Chairman Unmesh Wagh held the additional charge of the top post.

Dayal takes charge at a time of positive momentum for JNPA, which has just reported a robust surge in its cargo handling operations for September 2025.

The port handled a total of 8.36 million tonnes of cargo last month, a 13.37% increase compared to the 7.38 million tonnes managed in September 2024.

Container traffic also saw strong growth, with 648,907 TEUs (Twenty-foot Equivalent Units) handled, marking an 8.73% rise year-on-year. The bulk cargo segment was a standout performer, expanding by an impressive 40.76%.

The strong monthly results contribute to an excellent performance for the first half of the fiscal year. From April to September 2025, JNPA handled 49.63 million tonnes of total cargo, a 10.79% increase over the same period last year.

During these six months, container traffic grew by 12.36% to reach a total of 3,963,509 TEUs.

Several of the port's terminals posted significant gains in September, with APM Terminals Mumbai (APMT) leading with a 24.59% increase in container handling, followed by Nhava Sheva Freeport Terminal (NSFT) with a 22.66% rise.