Advertisement
Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone (APSEZ), led by Gautam Adani, expressed its intention earlier this week to participate in the INR 53,000 crore Vadhavan Port project near Mumbai. The company signed two memoranda of understanding with the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority (JNPA) to explore involvement in offshore works and the development of a container terminal. The JNPA, which owns the majority stake in the upcoming port, clarified that these agreements represent expressions of interest and will be followed by detailed bidding processes.
Gautam Adani-led Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone (APSEZ) expressed its intent earlier this week to participate in projects worth INR 53,000 crore under the Vadhavan Port development near Mumbai. The company signed two memoranda of understanding (MoUs) with the government-owned Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority (JNPA), which holds the largest share in the project being developed in the Arabian Sea off the Palghar district. Advertisement
According to APSEZ's Chief Executive and Whole-Time Director, Ashwani Gupta, who signed the agreements, the first MoU outlined the company's interest in undertaking offshore projects valued at INR 26,500 crore. The second agreement affirmed APSEZ's intention to participate in the development of a container terminal of a similar scale at the same port.
JNPA Chairman Unmesh Wagh mentioned that the Vadhavan Port, once operational, is expected to rank among the world's top ten ports by size from its first day of operations. He noted that the facility would feature nine container terminals, and the Adani Group had expressed interest in developing one of them. Wagh further stated that the group was also keen to participate in offshore construction works such as building a breakwater.
However, he clarified that the MoUs only reflect the Adani Group's preliminary interest, emphasising that each project component would require formal bidding and detailed proposals before final allocation.
The Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority currently holds a 76 per cent stake in the Vadhavan Port project, with the remaining share owned by the Maharashtra Maritime Board, which comes under the state government. At present, JNPT stands as the largest container port in India, handling 7.3 million TEUs in FY25, while figures for Adani Group-operated Mundra Port were not immediately available.
These MoUs by APSEZ came a day after the company announced plans to invest INR 42,500 crore for the expansion of Maharashtra's Dighi Port, located south of Mumbai.
Adani Ports' move to sign MoUs for potential participation in the Vadhavan Port project marks another step in the group's growing engagement with India's maritime infrastructure. While these agreements represent expressions of intent rather than confirmed contracts, they reflect the conglomerate's ongoing strategy to strengthen its presence across key port operations in Maharashtra. The bidding process is expected to determine APSEZ's eventual role in the large-scale development.
Source - PTI
5th Jun, 2025
25th May, 2023
11th May, 2023
27th Apr, 2023
Advertisement
Facebook
Whatsapp
