DP World has announced its intention to support the development of infrastructure in India and is looking for opportunities that are worth more than US$1 billion over the next few years.

“The UAE and India enjoy historic bilateral relations and these potential investments reinforce our confidence in the long-term growth of the Indian economy and our desire to actively contribute to the economic development of this friendly nation,” said Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, crown prince of Abu Dhabi and deputy supreme commander of the armed forces of the United Arab Emirates, who was inaugurating a new berth at the Nhava Sheva (India) Gateway Terminal, at Mumbai’s Jawaharlal Nehru Port. “DP World has established a leading position in the Indian market and is a pioneer in the development of container terminals. It has the biggest portfolio along the Indian coast and is looking to enhance its presence there, transferring the UAE’s experience of infrastructure development in line with our plans to enhance the strategic relations between our countries and to take them to a higher level.”

According to DP World, the investments would cover long-term greenfield container concessions, inland container depots, the expansion of brownfield container terminals and the expansion of existing intermodal rail services.

DP World operates six port concessions in India, which was Dubai’s second-largest trading partner in 2015.

“We are reinforcing our commitment to enabling India’s growth and economic development through our operations in the country, where we have invested over US$1 billion in the past supporting over 30% of India’s container trade,” said Ahmed Bin Sulayem, group chairman and CEO of DP World, who was also at the ceremony. “Being one of the strongest emerging economies in the world, India offers immense potential for growth in the maritime sector. With Nhava Sheva (India) Gateway Terminal, the new 330-metre berth, DP World will contribute even more to India’s growth offering our customers the ability to grow and expand their business.”

DP World handled a total of 61.7 million TEUs in 2015 across its global portfolio of container terminals, a year-on-year growth of 3%.