Vadhavan will be India’s 13th major port and the first to be created since 2001
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently laid the foundation stone for the country’s largest deepwater port, Vadhavan, in a ceremony held in Palghar in the western state of Maharashtra. According to a statement from the government, this project will elevate India’s maritime capabilities and significantly boost its global trade profile, describing it as a ‘game changer’ for the country’s trade flows.
Vadhavan Port, which was approved by the Union Cabinet in June, is set to be operational by 2030 and will eventually feature nine 1000m metre long container terminals, four multipurpose berths, four liquid cargo facilities and a ro-ro berth. Once completed, Vadhavan port will have a natural draft of 20 m, enabling it to accommodate the world’s largest vessels in service between India, West Asia and Europe, including containerships up to 24,000 TEU capacity.
The development is being managed by Vadhavan Port Project Limited, a joint venture between the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority (JNPA) and the Maharashtra Maritime Board (MMB). While public sector funding will be provided for the basic infrastructure, the port development will seek to attract superstructure investment from the private sector, and a number of major global port operating groups have reportedly already expressed interest in participating in the project.
