The Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Sarbananda Sonowal, announced major initiatives to boost the capacity at Kandla Port worth an investment of more than ₹57,000 crores on Tuesday (7 January 2025). The two major announcements include the construction of a new Mega Shipbuilding Project with an investment of ₹30,000 crores. The other major announcement is the development of a new cargo terminal outside of Kandla Creek at an investment of ₹27,000 crores, adding 135 MTPA capacity to the Kandla Port.

 

Sonowal said that the capacity expansion at Kandla Port is the realisation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Make in India, Make for the World’ vision. He said, “We are really excited at the possibilities that this new investment is likely to bring towards contributing meaningfully towards Viksit Bharat. Under the dynamic leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, we are working towards building capacities in our country which will not only propel the growth proposition but also allow it to become a platform of production for the world at large. The new shipbuilding facility at Kandla is a manifestation of the ‘Make in India, Make for the World’ - a vision of our beloved leader Narendra Modi.”

 

The new Mega Shipbuilding Facility at the Kandla Port will develop technical capability in the country to manufacture big Very Large Crude Carrier (VLCC) or similar class of vessels with a capacity up to 3,20,000 tonnes DWT. It will be able to produce 32 new ships and repair 50 old ships every year. Spread over an area of more than 8,000 acres, the new facility will have components like a marina, fishing harbour, and a township and marine industrial cluster. The project will unlock tremendous value for trade interests and employment avenues in the region, especially in the ancillary manufacturing and assembly units to come and operate in the cluster.

 

On the other hand, in an attempt to restructure the Port, a new state-of-the-art port is being developed outside of Kandla Creek, towards Tuna. This new port will be developed using the 6 km available waterfront. With an investment of ₹27,000 crores, an additional capacity of 135 MTPA will be developed to the existing capacity of Kandla port. The new port will handle all existing cargo jetties handling dry bulk cargo, with modern cargo handling equipment and more efficient evacuation systems. 

 

The Deendayal Port Authority has outlined plans to expand Kandla Port's capacity to 390 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) by 2030. It has been working on many other mission-mode projects to enhance the capacity of Kandla port significantly. All these initiatives are part of India's mission to modernise the country's port infrastructure and increase handling capacity, catering to the growing demand for goods and cargo. Overall, The total cargo handled rose from 871.52 million tonnes to 1629.86 million tonnes, marking an 87.01 percent increase at major Indian ports from 2014-15 to 2023-24.