Above: Port of Deendayal (photo: Deendayal Port Authority, Kandla (GODL-India).
In India, at the west coast Port of Deendayal, the 26,541dwt Handysize vessel DD Voyager delivered a consignment of 25,000 tonnes of bulk fertilizer imported by Narmada Biochem on April 30. Before arriving at Kandla, the vessel made stops at Port Klang (Malaysia) and Xiamen (China), on the busy trans-Asian trade route.
Discharge was undertaken by advanced bulk handling systems to considerably boost turnaround times. At the same time, operations were continually monitored to ensure compliance with environmental and occupational safety standards.
This forms part of a larger trend towards high-efficiency bulk handling at India’s premier ports, with Deendayal Port now able to handle large volumes of fertiliser, especially Ammonium Sulphate Phosphate (ASP), which is a key nutrient for agricultural productivity, making it a major player in India’s agri-input distribution network. The large consignment carried by the DD Voyager is significant because this volume is enough to treat hundreds of thousands of acres of farmland, and importing it in bulk significantly lowers the per-tonne cost for farmers compared to smaller, bagged shipments.
This shipment comes at a time of massive expansion for NBCL. In recent times, the company has seen a nearly 60% growth in operations. It is currently building a major DAP and SSP manufacturing plant in Bharuch, Gujarat, with operations expected to start in early 2027. Its move towards importing large bulk consignments is securing raw materials to maintain its market share across 16+ Indian states while its new domestic production facilities are under construction.
Deendayal (Kandla) Port recently emerged as India’s top cargo handler for the 2025–2026 fiscal year, moving over 160 million metric tonnes. In bulk handling, the port uses mechanized hoppers and conveyor systems for fertilizer to ensure the ASP doesn’t get contaminated or degraded by moisture during the discharge process.