The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has given the green light for the establishment of a major port at Vadhavan near Dahanu in Maharashtra, India. This ambitious project will be undertaken by Vadhavan Port Project Limited (VPPL), a special purpose vehicle (SPV) formed by the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority (JNPA) and the Maharashtra Maritime Board (MMB) with a shareholding of 74 per cent and 26 per cent, respectively.

The Vadhavan Port will be developed as an all-weather Greenfield deep draft major port in Vadhavan, Palghar District, Maharashtra. The total project cost, including land acquisition, is estimated at ₹762.2 billion (approximately $9.11 billion). The development will include core infrastructure, terminals, and other commercial infrastructure through public-private partnerships (PPP) mode, the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways said in a press release.

The Cabinet has also approved the establishment of road connectivity between the port and national highways, managed by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, and rail linkage to the existing rail network and the upcoming dedicated rail freight corridor, managed by the Ministry of Railways. The Vadhavan Port will feature nine container terminals, each 1,000 metres long, four multipurpose berths, including a coastal berth, four liquid cargo berths, a Ro-Ro berth, and a coast guard berth. The project involves reclaiming 1,448 hectares of area in the sea and constructing 10.14 km of offshore breakwater and container/cargo storage areas. The port will have a cumulative capacity of 298 million metric tons (MMT) per annum, including around 23.2 million twenty-foot equivalents (TEUs) of container handling capacity.

The capacities created will enhance EXIM trade flow through the India Middle East Europe Economic Corridor (IMEEC) and the International North South Transportation Corridor (INSTC). The world-class maritime terminal facilities will promote public-private partnerships (PPP), leveraging modern technologies to create state-of-the-art terminals capable of handling mainline mega vessels on international shipping lines between the Far East, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and the Americas. Upon completion, Vadhavan Port is expected to rank among the top ten ports globally.

Aligned with the objectives of the PM Gati Shakti program, the project is anticipated to stimulate economic activity and generate direct and indirect employment opportunities for approximately 12 lakh individuals, significantly contributing to the local economy.

In another significant boost to India’s port development programme, nine Indian ports have made it to the global top 100 in the latest edition of the Container Port Performance Index (CPPI), 2023, a report prepared by the World Bank and S&P Global Market Intelligence.

Vishakhapatnam Port showcased strong performance with 27.5 moves per crane hour, a turnaround time (TRT) of 21.4 hours, and minimal berth idle time. Seven other Indian ports, which secured ranks in the top 100, are Pipavav (41), Kamarajar (47), Cochin (63), Hazira (68), Krishnapatnam (71), Chennai (80) and Jawaharlal Nehru (96).

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DP)