Jens Meier, IAPH president and Hamburg Port Authority (HPA) CEO, led delegations representing both organisations to visit regular members Chennai Port Authority and Kamarajar Port in late February. The delegation’s visit to Chennai Port incorporated an extensive port tour, which included a briefing at the port signal station and a vessel ride in the port basin to gain first-hand insights into marine operations and navigational management systems. Delegates also visited the DP World and PSA Container Terminal facilities to view container-handling operations, infrastructure capabilities and digital systems. Later discussions included special addresses by Jens, as well as S Viswanathan, chair of Chennai Port Authority, and Ennarasu Karunesan, IAPH regional development director for South Asia. The visit to Kamarajar Port included interactions with senior leadership that were focused on green port and decarbonization strategies, digital transformation, smart port systems and more. The port’s managing director Irene Cynthia noted that the visit underscored the port’s commitment to sustainability, operational excellence, and international partnership. The visit concluded with a reaffirmation of mutual commitment to strengthening global port collaboration under the IAPH framework and advancing a future-ready maritime ecosystem aligned with global sustainability goals.
