New Delhi, Jul 7 (IANS): Essar Ports on Tuesday said that it handled 11.23 million tonnes of cargo in the April-June quarter, with 75 per cent growth in June compared to April.

According to the company, the growth in cargo handling are "green shoots" of economic recovery.

Noting the that Essar Ports takes pride in manifesting the Prime Minister's vision of an 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat', its CEO & MD Rajiv Agarwal said: "In June 2020, 'unlock-1' was unleashed across the country, and the economy immediately started displaying green shoots of recovery."

"Our terminals, which remained operational despite challenges faced through the successive phases of the lockdown, have clocked an impressive cargo handling of 11.23 MT. We are well placed and prepared to ensure the nation's economic engines are up and running in the most efficient manner," he said in a statement.

Noting that between March and May this year, business operations came to a halt and all industries were affected during the period, the company said that in the first quarter of FY 2020-21, businesses have been on the move to optimise, reinvent and remain relevant so they could return to old performance levels.

At Essar Ports, there was a dip in cargo handling in April 2020 on account of dwindling production of its key customers, mainly power and steel companies, but it significantly improved in June, it added.