The Gujarat coastline on India’s west coast is getting increasingly crowded with boxport developments.
Adani Group has had a presence in the state for many years and now Dubai’s DP World is entering the area, coming to an agreement with Deendayal Port Authority, formerly the Kandla Port Trust, to develop a 2.19m teu greenfield site.
DP World, along with Indian state investor National Investment and Infrastructure Fund, have set aside a huge $510m to develop the Tuna-Tekra terminal in Kandla
The concession is on a build-operate-transfer (BOT) basis for a period of 30 years with the option to extend for another 20 years. The terminal will be able to handle megamaxes and there is room to double its capacity going forward.
DP World currently operates five container terminals in India – two in Mumbai, one each in Mundra, Cochin and Chennai – with a combined capacity of approximately 6m teu.
S K Mehta, chairman of Deendayal Port Authority, said the Tuna-Tekra terminal will be one of the largest container terminals to be set up in the country.
Ahmed bin Sulayem, CEO of DP World, said: “It will enable DP World to deliver trade opportunities, by connecting northern, western and central India with global markets, thereby driving value for all our stakeholders. India represents a significant landscape for opportunity.”
