Mumbai. Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal flagged off India’s first fleet of electric heavy trucks equipped with swappable batteries at the Nhava Sheva Distribution Terminal of Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority (JNPA). With this, JNPA has become the first Indian port to operate the largest EV truck fleet, marking a historic step towards sustainable logistics.
On the occasion, a heavy-duty battery swapping station was also inaugurated. JNPA has set a target to convert 90% of its internal fleet of around 600 trucks into electric vehicles by December 2026.
A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between JNPA and the Isaac Centre for Public Policy (ICPP) at Ashoka University, Delhi. The objective of the MoU is to prepare a reference framework for port authorities to determine tariffs for different categories of cargo and commodities through both cost benchmarking and port benchmarking approaches.
Highlighting the government’s vision, Sonowal said that by electrifying its logistics fleet, JNPA is sending a message that goes far beyond the boundaries of the port. It shows that Indian ports are ready to embrace the future and set new standards of sustainability, efficiency, and innovation. Ports across the country are implementing solar and wind energy projects, LNG and hydrogen fuel infrastructure, and electrification of cargo-handling equipment.
A total of 50 electric trucks were flagged off today, and the fleet is expected to expand to 80 by the end of the year. This move marks another decisive step in JNPA’s pursuit of decarbonisation and energy transition.
JNPA Chairperson Unmesh Sharad Wagh said that the launch of this new EV truck fleet is not just a gradual expansion of logistics capacity but a major leap towards a cleaner, greener, and more resilient future for port operations. As the custodian of India’s largest container port, JNPA bears the responsibility of adopting innovations that combine economic progress with ecological responsibility.
The event was also attended by R. Lakshmanan, Joint Secretary, MoPSW, and Unmesh Sharad Wagh, Chairman JNPA and CMD VPPL.
This initiative holds special significance as JNPA handles nearly half of India’s container trade. The deployment of EV trucks not only advances the goals of PM Gati Shakti and the National Logistics Policy (NLP) but also contributes significantly to the government’s vision under Maritime India Vision 2030 and the Green Ports initiative to reduce emissions in the maritime sector
