Cargo traffic at Indian ports is gradually growing. Containerisation and palletisation of cargo is on the rise, though there is still far more to go for us to have a sizeable share of containerised and palletised cargo in the global market. According to Shipping Ministry, as per the studies conducted under Sagarmala programme, cargo traffic at Indian ports is expected to be around 2,500 MMTPA compared to the current handling capacity of 1,500 MMTPA. A roadmap has been prepared for increasing the Indian port capacity to more than 3,500 MMTPA by 2025 to cater to the growing traffic. Meanwhile, expansions and modernisation are on at major ports and non-major ports in the country. Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated JNPT's fourth container terminal in February this year. The new terminal - Bharat Mumbai Container Terminals (BMCT) - has acquired a range of handling equipment from leading port equipment players. Earlier, in the last couple of years, JNPT had acquired 15 electric RTG cranes from SANY. Meanwhile, other major ports are in the process of replacing their old cargo handling equipment with new ones as part of increasing handling efficiency. Non-major ports are also not behind in the process. For eg, Krishnapatnam Port Container Terminals has commissioned five new electrical RTG cranes in this July. All these indicate opportunities for port equipment manufacturers and providers. However, this is not enough, the equipment players feel. We need to tap more international cargo by setting up more transshipment hub ports in the country as we are strategically located on the international maritime map. New transshipment hubs will create demand for modern handling equipment in big numbers. So the approach towards port development needs to be on a wider scope. The Cover Story provides the current performance of Indian ports and the new opportunities for port equipment players based on the port development plans.Portable air compressors play an important role in mining and quarrying while applications are also there in construction projects. The Feature on Portable Power Solution elaborates on the market for air compressors. Industrial cranes market is on growth path in the past couple of years, with new projects coming up in industrial and infrastructure sectors. Read Focus on Industrial Cranes for more facts on market scenario and outlook. Bengaluru is emerging as a construction equipment (CE) hub in the country with many players (big and small) have set up base in this city which is traditionally known for manufacturing, engineering, IT and knowledge pool. Read the Special Feature on Bengaluru to know more about how the city is emerging as a CE hub. There are more to read in other regular columns.Before concluding, we remember the great personalities who left apart us recently. Our former Prime Minster Atal Bihari Vajpayee passed away on August 16. It was under his stewardship that the Golden Quadrilateral project was conceptualised and launched. The sad demise of a great statesman like our former PM is a big loss for the country. Rajan Nanda, who was the Chairman of Escorts Group, passed away on August 5, after a brief illness. A veteran of Indian industry, his sad demise is a loss for construction, agriculture and auto industry, in particular. Our condolences.Follow me on twitter @PratapPadode