August 14, 2025: The Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways has identified 30 port projects worth nearly Rs 1 lakh crore to be developed at state-owned ports under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model over the next four years, a senior official confirmed on Monday.
This investment pipeline is in addition to port works valued at around Rs 20,000 crore, which are currently at various stages of the tendering process. “Following the Budget announcement, we have submitted a pipeline of PPP projects close to Rs 1 lakh cr over the next four years. The process is already gaining momentum and is expected to accelerate further,” said R Lakshmanan, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, at a press briefing in Mumbai on August 12.
According to T K Ramachandran, Secretary of the Ministry, the PPP framework is being applied to the mechanisation, modernisation, expansion and reconstruction of berths at major ports.
Projects in the pipeline include mechanisation of CQ-I and CQ-II berths at Paradip Port on a build-operate-transfer (BOT) basis, valued at Rs 982 cr; augmentation of the iron ore berth and construction of the SQ-II berth at Paradip Port (Rs 697 cr); mechanisation of a multipurpose berth at Paradip Port (Rs 631 cr); bulk terminals at Kamarajar Port Ltd (Rs 500 cr); reconstruction of Berth No. 8 and mechanisation of Berths 7 and 8 at Netaji Subhas Dock in Kolkata’s Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port (Rs 699 cr); a general cargo berth at Chennai Port (Rs 221 cr); and development of Berth No. 9 at Mormugao Port (Rs 200 cr).
The Ministry’s approach is expected to significantly boost port efficiency, capacity and cargo-handling capabilities, while leveraging private sector investment to modernise India’s maritime infrastructure ahead of the 2030 deadline.
Source: Economic Times
