DP World has won a major concession to develop, operate and maintain the mega-container terminal at Deendayal port in Gujarat, on the western coast of India.
In a statement, the Emirati multinational logistics company said the project involves the construction of a mega-container terminal at Tuna-Tekra through a Public-Private Partnership (PPP).
Source: DP World
Once complete, the terminal will include a 1,100-metre berth and will be capable of handling vessels carrying more than 18,000 TEUs. The total capacity will be 2.19 million TEUs.
The contract was awarded by the Deendayal Port Authority on a Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) basis.
"Once complete, the terminal will help unlock future container traffic growth in India, catering to exports and imports from Northern, Western and Central India, reducing logistics costs and enhancing efficiencies across supply chains," DP World said.
It added that the project would complement initiatives of the Government of India, such as the PM Gati Shakti Master Plan and National Logistics Policy, which has been introduced to provide greater focus on developing multimodal logistics infrastructure promoting economic growth.
India: Landscape for opportunity
DP World's strategic investments in ports and terminals in the country are aligned with the Indian Government's Vision 2047, which aims to quadruple the country’s port handling capacity.
"India represents a significant landscape for the opportunity. As the value chain becomes more integrated, significant growth opportunities exist across the entire Indian ports and logistics space," said Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem, Group chairman and CEO of DP World.
"With the development of the Tuna Tekra mega-container terminal in Gujarat, DP World will be well placed to capture these opportunities, further connecting Northern, Western and Central India with global trade and driving value for all our stakeholders."
Rizwan Soomar, CEO and MD of India Subcontinent and sub-Saharan Africa, DP World, noted that DP World is "confident" of the company's deep expertise in developing critical infrastructure.
"We remain enthusiastic about continuing to play an important role in developing world-leading assets to enable trade flow in key markets of India," Soomar said.
DP World India presence
DP World said in a statement that the new terminal would be constructed and equipped with the most modern facilities and equipment over an area of approximately 63 hectares.
The terminal will be well connected to the hinterland through the network of roads, highways, railways and Dedicated Freight Corridors.
DP World already operates five marine terminals – two in Mumbai, one each in Mundra, Cochin and Chennai – with a combined capacity of approximately 6 million TEUs and with the addition of Tuna Tekra Container Terminal, DP World will have a capacity of 8.19 million TEUs.
This is along with seven multimodal inland terminals connected to DP World's rail network, cold storage facilities and container freight stations. It is also developing three state-of-the-art economic zones across the country in Mumbai, Cochin and Chennai.