November 24, 2025: The state-run Mumbai Port Authority, long considered a laggard in privatising cargo berths through the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model, is preparing for a significant transformation. Historically, the port has struggled to attract private investors, with its only major PPP attempt — a container terminal project — collapsing after the award. Now, under the leadership of its new Chairman, M Angamuthu, the port is charting a new direction focused on monetisation and operational efficiency. Angamuthu, an IAS officer from the Assam-Meghalaya cadre who took charge in September, is assessing ways to unlock value from the port’s extensive land holdings in Mumbai. “We need some changes in the functioning of the port,” he told ET Infra.
Instead of relying on long-term PPP concessions, the port is shifting toward the short-term Operation and Maintenance (O&M) model, inspired by the success of Visakhapatnam Port Authority, where Angamuthu previously served as full-time Chairman. The O&M approach has proven effective in monetising berths quickly while retaining public ownership, and within two months, Angamuthu has initiated steps to replicate that momentum in Mumbai.
Parallelly, the government’s Green Tug Transition Programme (GTTP), designed to reduce emissions across major ports, is progressing steadily. Six long-term charter contracts for green tug deployment have been awarded across Deendayal, Jawaharlal Nehru, New Mangalore, VOC, and Visakhapatnam Port Authorities, with more contracts currently in the tendering stage.
In the private sector, JSW Infrastructure, led by Sajjan Jindal, has acquired a 51% stake in an Oman port venture, expanding its international presence as India’s second-largest private port operator. Meanwhile, shipbuilding capacity is being boosted through brownfield expansion, supported by proposed capital assistance of up to 25% to help India move toward its goal of becoming a top-five shipbuilding nation by 2047.
Cochin Port Authority is also unlocking 140 acres for commercial development under the landlord model, aiming to raise revenue amid limited success in attracting private investment for cargo terminals.
Source: ET Infra
