Chennai Port scales down expansion plans

[NEW DELHI] India plans to cut back expansion of a port that helps Ford Motor and Hyundai Motor ship cars after an economic slowdown and rival facilities dented traffic for the first time in seven years.

The Chennai Port Trust, which started 128 years ago in the southern Indian city, is hiring a consultant to help review its plans and advise on a reduced capacity, chairman Atulya Misra said in an e-mail interview.

The state-owned operator scrapped a bid this year to build a terminal that could more than doubled its ability to handle 20-foot standard boxes or TEUs.