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APSEZ Wins 18 MMT Berth Project at Paradip Port in Odisha

APSEZ Wins 30-Year Concession for Two Dry Bulk Berths at Paradip Port

Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone Ltd (APSEZ) has received the Letter of Award to develop and operate two dry bulk berths at Paradip Port in Odisha, giving the company its first operating presence at one of India’s busiest major ports.

The CQ-I and CQ-II berths will add 18 million metric tonnes (MMT) of annual cargo-handling capacity to APSEZ’s domestic network. The company’s domestic port capacity will rise from 653 MMT to 671 MMT, according to its September 9 announcement. APSEZ has set a target of handling 1 billion tonnes of cargo by 2030.

The project comes under a 30-year concession and will be developed through the public-private partnership route on a Build, Operate and Transfer basis. The government tender describes the work as the mechanisation of CQ-I and CQ-II berths.

The two berths are planned to handle dry bulk cargo using mechanised systems. The project details include berths covering about 485 metres, a dredged draft of 15 metres and large storage facilities. The planned capacity is 18 MMT a year, while the project is expected to take about 36 months to complete.

For APSEZ, the award adds another port to a growing network on India’s eastern coast. The company already has port and terminal operations at Haldia, Dhamra, Gopalpur and Gangavaram, with a combined capacity of about 140 MMT. The Paradip addition takes its stated network to 16 ports and terminals across India’s coastline.

Ashwani Gupta, Whole-time Director and CEO of APSEZ, said: “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. With Paradip, APSEZ’s network grows to 16 ports and terminals across India’s 11,000-km coastline, strengthening our ability to deliver integrated port, logistics and marine solutions through the country’s most comprehensive transport infrastructure platform.”

Paradip is already a major bulk cargo centre. The Paradip Port Authority says the port handled a record 156.45 MMT of cargo in the 2025-26 financial year, up about 4% from 150.41 MMT in the previous year. It ranked second among India’s major ports by cargo volume during 2025-26, after holding the top position in 2024-25.

The port has been operating since 1966 and is closely linked to the mineral and industrial belt of eastern India. Its hinterland includes major sources of iron ore, coal and limestone, along with steel and fertiliser industries. These industries generate large volumes of bulk cargo that must move between mines, factories and markets.

Paradip’s recent cargo figures show why additional handling facilities are being planned. Coal handling rose 4.44% in 2025-26, while steel cargo increased 43%. Petroleum, oil and lubricants cargo also grew 25.68%. The port handled 65.81 MMT of coastal cargo during the year, accounting for 42.06% of its total traffic.

The port has also recorded high berth productivity. Paradip Port Authority reported productivity of about 35,059 tonnes per berth-day in 2025-26, compared with a national average of around 18,000 tonnes. Its rated capacity was reported at 289 MTPA in February 2026.

The new berths will therefore be added to a port that is already operating at a large scale. Their planned mechanisation is intended to improve the movement of dry bulk cargo, particularly commodities such as coal and limestone.

The award also changes the shape of APSEZ’s eastern India operations. Dhamra lies on the Odisha coast between Haldia and Paradip, while Gopalpur provides access towards the mineral-producing areas of Odisha, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh. Gangavaram, farther south, serves industrial areas and handles large bulk cargoes.

Adding Paradip gives APSEZ another major cargo gateway in the same broad industrial belt. This could allow the company to serve customers closer to their production centres and connect cargo movements between ports, rail networks, roads and inland industrial locations.

The wider Indian port sector is also handling more cargo. India’s major ports handled 915.17 million tonnes during 2025-26, up 7.06% from the previous year and above the annual target of 904 million tonnes, according to government figures. Paradip accounted for 156.45 MMT of that total.

The Paradip tender itself was issued as a 30-year BOT concession. The bidding process was conducted through the government procurement system, with the tender for CQ-I and CQ-II calling for mechanisation of the two berths.

For APSEZ, the immediate result is an additional 18 MMT of domestic capacity. For Paradip, the award brings a private operator into the development and operation of two more bulk berths at a time when the port is handling record cargo volumes.

The effect will depend on construction and the speed at which the new facilities begin handling cargo. But with Paradip already serving a large mineral and industrial hinterland, the project places additional dry bulk capacity at a port where demand for cargo movement has been rising.