Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone (APSEZ), India’s largest port developer and operator, has received the letter of intent (LOI) for the operation and maintenance (O&M) of the container facility at Netaji Subhas Dock, located at the Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port in Kolkata.
APSEZ secured this five-year O&M contract through a competitive bidding process. According to an official release from APSEZ, the contract mandates the successful bidder to deploy cargo handling equipment within seven months from the letter of acceptance (LOA) date.
Netaji Subhas Dock is the largest container terminal on India’s eastern coast, handling approximately 0.63 million TEUs in the fiscal year 2023-24. The terminal serves a vast hinterland, including West Bengal, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, Assam, the northeastern hill states, and the landlocked neighboring countries of Nepal and Bhutan. Additionally, the Kolkata port is the designated port for the Indo-Bangladesh Protocol on Inland Water Transit and Trade route, facilitating significant trade between the two nations.
The terminal benefits from regular liner service calls from major hub ports such as Singapore, Port Kelang, and Colombo. APSEZ’s presence at the dock is expected to enhance connectivity between the terminal and its container ports, particularly with the transshipment hubs at Vizhinjam and Colombo, which are set to be commissioned this year.
Ashwani Gupta, CEO of APSEZ, stated, “The award of the O&M contract for container handling facilities at Netaji Subhas Dock to APSEZ underlines our commitment to developing ports and logistics infrastructure across the country and the potential we see in West Bengal. We will bring our experience of over two decades of efficiently managing various container terminals within India and outside, benefiting customers and the people of the state.”
This strategic move by APSEZ is poised to significantly boost the operational efficiency and connectivity of the Netaji Subhas Dock, further strengthening India’s maritime infrastructure.
