JSW Infra set to win ₹832 crore container terminal deal at Netaji Subhas Dock in Kolkata Port

By Admin

18 Jun, 2025

In a major development on India’s eastern coast, JSW Infrastructure Ltd, led by Sajjan Jindal, is on track to clinch a landmark container terminal project worth ₹832 crore at Netaji Subhas Dock (NSD) in the Kolkata Dock System (KDS), under the Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port Authority.

A Strategic Win for JSW Infra

JSW Infrastructure, currently India’s second-largest private port operator, placed the highest royalty price bid of ₹4,678 per twenty-foot equivalent unit (TEU), outbidding rival Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone Ltd (APSEZ), which quoted ₹4,020 per TEU. This strategic victory marks JSW Infra’s first project within the state-owned Kolkata Port and positions it strongly in the eastern maritime market.

Project Scope and Investment

The ₹832 crore investment will be directed toward building and mechanising two berths (7 and 8) at NSD, which will include:

• Reconstructing Berth 8
  
  

• Mechanising Berths 7 and 8 with rail-mounted quay cranes (RMQC) for efficient container handling
  
  

• Developing a 25-acre backup area
  
  

• Operating the facility under a 30-year concession agreement
  
  

The facility is expected to handle 5 lakh TEUs annually, further enhancing JSW Infra’s container terminal portfolio, which already includes operations at New Mangalore Port.

Competitive Bidding Highlights

Among the bidders, only JSW Infrastructure and APSEZ submitted financial bids. Other technically qualified contenders DP World Ltd, Century Ports Ltd, and Navayuga Engineering Co Ltd did not place price bids. Port contracts at major ports are typically awarded to the firm quoting the highest royalty per tonne of cargo, emphasizing revenue potential for the port authority.

Market Implications

According to sources familiar with the bidding process, JSW Infra’s quoted royalty is among the highest for a brownfield container terminal project at a government-owned port. This indicates Kolkata’s growing prominence as a container cargo hub on India’s east coast.

In FY 2024–25, the Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port Authority handled 8.05 lakh TEUs, with Kolkata Dock System accounting for 6.2 lakh TEUs and Haldia Dock Complex managing 1.85 lakh TEUs.