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• an exclusive interview with SME Times, the President of the Antwerp Port Authority, Belgium, Marc Van Peel said huge investment is required to improve the port infrastructure in the country in order to make port condition and capacity better.                
• How much development and growth do you see for the small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in India?
• Marc Van Peel: I think it is for sure that the global economy and India will grow at a great pace. I think that is also for the SMEs. And, I think what we have learnt in Europe is that SMEs who are trying to pick up in the global growth are not limiting themselves to the domestic markets but also from the beginning they are performing and expanding their performance internationally. In fact, it is very important for the economic health of those SMEs. The most vital is that SMEs became active internationally. For instance, China,  they are very active internationally. I hope that we will be engaged with India in the same way.
• What are the obstacles at present in Indian port services?
• Marc Van Peel:What is of utmost importance is the connectivity of the port with the hinterland. I think lots of investment has to be made there in the infrastructure development of Indian ports like in inland port ways, build dedicated railways, improve road infrastructure. These all are very important for the development.
• The main challenge is with the good connectivity of the port. In India, it is well understood that we have to improve the infrastructure of the ports and become very efficient. What is very important is the problem sometimes with the waiting of the vessels for a long time in the port that is killing the business. And, lots of those vessels waiting are linked with poor connectivity with the hinterland. It also requires potential investment in order to make port condition and capacity better and effective.
• What kind of investments are you planning to bring into India?
• Marc Van Peel:We are negotiating now. We have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Essar group (the Essar port). We are in the process of negotiating with them. We will see them in Mumbai.
• How much amount will you invest in India?
• Marc Van Peel: As we are in the process of negotiating, I will not comment on that. It won't be wiser. We do not negotiate thinks in public.
• Could you brief on the grounds you are negotiating with Essar group? What is the objective?
• Marc Van Peel:The Port Authority needs to invest hugely in the port infrastructure. That is not our main aim. Our intention is in the field that I have already described i.e. in the development of the supply chain around the port. It is there where we have the know-how and the expertise. It is not our role to be big infrastructure investor but our role is to improve the port of the global supply chain. There perhaps we will commit depending on the negotiation.
• Besides this, do you have any other negotiation in pipeline?
• Marc Van Peel: Fundamentally no. We have lot of good memorandum of understandings (MOUs) and friendship agreements with many Indian major ports and also with non-major ports. We have with Mundra port for instance, with the major ports of Chennai, and few ports of Mumbai. There is more of exchange and what we do lot is, we usually have hundreds of people from India every year following out port training seminar.

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