Adani Ports wins Paradip berth project, adds 18 MMT capacity

Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone (APSEZ) emerged as the highest bidder for the development and operation of two dry bulk berths at Paradip Port in Odisha on Wednesday, marking its entry into India’s second-largest major port and strengthening its presence along the country’s eastern coast.

The company has received a Letter of Award for the development of the CQ-I and CQ-II berths, which will add 18 million metric tonnes (MMT) of mechanised dry bulk handling capacity to its domestic port network.

Shares of Adani Ports Ltd. were trading at Rs 1,774.60 per script after a Rs 65.75 hike of around 3.85% as at 14:55 on BSE on Wednesday.


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The project will be awarded for a concession period of 30 years and developed under the public-private partnership model on a build-operate-transfer basis.

With the addition, APSEZ’s domestic port capacity will rise to 671 MMT from 653 MMT currently, as the company moves towards its target of handling 1 billion tonnes of cargo by 2030.

The Paradip project will further expand APSEZ’s presence on the eastern seaboard, where it already operates ports and terminals at Haldia, Dhamra, Gopalpur and Gangavaram, with a combined capacity of about 140 MMT.

Under the project, APSEZ will develop mechanised cargo handling systems, deep-draft berths and large-scale storage infrastructure to handle coal, limestone and other dry bulk commodities.

“The Paradip concession will strengthen APSEZ’s presence on the East Coast and expand our access to one of India's most important industrial and mineral-rich hinterlands,” Ashwani Gupta, Whole-time Director and CEO of APSEZ, said.

With Paradip, APSEZ’s network will expand to 16 ports and terminals across India’s coastline, strengthening its ability to offer integrated port, logistics and marine services, he said.

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Located close to major steel plants and mineral-producing regions, Paradip serves as a key gateway for bulk cargo moving into eastern and central India, the Gautam Adani-owned company said. The new terminal is expected to give APSEZ greater access to industrial and manufacturing clusters in the region.

The capacity addition also comes amid high utilisation levels at ports along the East Coast, with cargo volumes expected to rise on the back of steel sector expansion and the government’s push to increase domestic coal production.

The Paradip project is expected to help ease regional capacity constraints while strengthening APSEZ’s cargo network across one of India’s most mineral-rich industrial corridors.