Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone Limited (APSEZ) has emerged as the highest bidder for the development and operation of two dry bulk berths at Paradip Port in Odisha.
The company has received the Letter of Award for the CQ-I and CQ-II berths, which will add 18 million metric tonnes (MMT) of mechanised dry bulk capacity to its portfolio. The addition will take APSEZ’s total cargo handling capacity to 671 MMT per annum, supporting its target of reaching 1 billion tonnes of cargo throughput by 2030.
The project will be developed under the Public-Private Partnership model with a 30-year concession. APSEZ plans to build deep-draft berths, mechanised cargo-handling systems and large-scale storage infrastructure.
The Paradip project marks APSEZ’s strategic entry into India’s second-largest major port and a key bulk cargo gateway on the eastern coast. It complements the company’s existing 140 MMT capacity across Haldia, Dhamra, Gopalpur and Gangavaram.
Located in a mineral-rich hinterland with major steel and industrial clusters, Paradip is a major gateway for bulk commodities. The new terminal is expected to strengthen APSEZ’s ability to handle coal, limestone and other dry bulk cargo while expanding access to eastern and central India.
According to APSEZ Whole-time Director and CEO Ashwani Gupta, the Paradip concession will strengthen the company’s East Coast presence and expand access to one of India’s key industrial and mineral-rich hinterlands.
With the addition of Paradip, APSEZ’s network will grow to 16 ports and terminals across India’s 11,000-km coastline. The company currently has a cargo handling capacity of 653 MMT per annum and handles around 27% of India’s total port volumes.
The company said the capacity addition comes amid rising cargo demand and high utilisation across East Coast ports. Growing steel production and the government’s push for domestic coal are also expected to support long-term cargo growth in the region.
