Ennarasu Karunesan, a renowned maritime expert, awarded a PhD in Maritime Management by Indian Maritime University
Ennarasu Karunesan, a renowned maritime expert, was awarded a PhD in Maritime Management by the Indian Maritime University (IMU), Chennai on October 7, 2024.
With over 35 years of experience in the maritime industry, Dr Karunesan has held senior managerial positions in various port organisations. Beginning his career as Assistant Docks Manager at Mumbai Port in 1989, Dr Karunesan went on to head Westports Malaysia from 1996 to 2004. He later served as Director and CEO of Chennai Container Terminal, part of Dubai Ports World, until 2014. Subsequently, he became CEO of Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone, Mundra and Tuna Ports, until 2019.
Since 2020, Dr Karunesan has served as Senior Advisor to Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority, Mumbai, and Chief Advisor to other Indian ports. In 2022, he was appointed as the First Regional Director for India by the International Association of Ports and Harbors, headquartered in Tokyo. He also works as a Senior Maritime Advisor at the World Bank Group for India and South East Asia.
PhD research
Dr Karunesan’s PhD research focused on container terminal efficiency, technology adoption and marketability of Indian container terminals. It entailed over six years of rigorous research by travelling to the top 10 global container ports. The thesis will be a foundation for many academic studies for students focusing on container trade. His contributions to the maritime industry have been widely recognised, including efficiently managing Mumbai Ports’ container terminal & freight stations, and his instrumental role in setting up Westports, Malaysia which currently handles 12 million TEUs.
Under his leadership, Chennai Container Terminal achieved 1.2 million TEUs in 2008, four times volume growth within four years. As the first integrated CEO of Mundra and Tuna Ports, he transformed both facilities through automation and global safety standards, establishing three container terminals. His global experience has greatly benefited Indian container trade, including planning 25 million TEU capacity at Vadhvan Port and Nicobar Island Container Terminal.
A versatile mechanical engineer with an MBA from Jamnalal Bajaj Institute of Management, Mumbai, he has also been speaking at national and international maritime conferences for about three decades. An accomplished endurance cyclist, he has ridden 30,000 km exploring heritage sites of India and neighbouring countries. Dr Karunesan has received over 35 awards for his service to Indian and global ports, significantly the Government of Tamil Nadu’s “Kappalotiya Tamizhan award,” highlighted a communique.
Source: Exim News Service: Chennai, Oct. 15