Tajpur deep sea port: Adani deal ‘over’, state to float fresh tender

By Admin

03 Jun, 2025

The West Bengal government has officially ended its association with the Adani Group for the much-anticipated Tajpur deep-sea port project, marking the close of a four-year chapter and paving the way for new bidders. The Bengal cabinet on Monday gave its final nod to issue a fresh tender, formally declaring the previous agreement with Adani Ports and SEZ (APSEZ) null and void.

End of the Adani Chapter

The Adani Group had emerged as the front-runner for the Tajpur port after the state cabinet approved its proposal back in September 2021. The initial tender process, which concluded on March 14, 2021, saw only two contenders: Adani Ports and JSW Infrastructure. In 2022, Karan Adani, director of APSEZ, was even handed a letter of intent, signaling the project was on track. However, progress soon stalled amid a maze of central clearances and legal ambiguities.

Although the state government had announced in November 2023 its intent to call for fresh bids for the ₹25,000-crore project, it stopped short of officially cancelling the initial tender. Days later, confusion arose when the state appeared to walk back its decision, suggesting Adani Group was still involved.

The holdup, reportedly, stemmed from pending clearances from several Union ministries   including defence, shipping, external affairs, and home affairs. Of these, only the Ministry of Home Affairs had offered a conditional security clearance, accompanied by specific observations.

Legal Considerations and Cabinet Decision

Faced with procedural deadlocks and mounting uncertainty, the state began seeking legal opinion earlier this year. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, when asked about the project in February, hinted that the finance department would reassess the tendering process, under legal guidance. Now, with the cabinet’s latest decision, the state has taken definitive action, cutting ties with the previous bidder and reinitiating the development process.

A senior official confirmed, “Following the decision to issue a fresh tender for Tajpur port means the earlier agreement is null and void.”

Strategic Location, Massive Potential

Located approximately 170 km from Kolkata and just 5 km off NH-116, the Tajpur deep-sea port is poised to be a transformative infrastructure project. With a planned draft of over 12 meters, it is designed to accommodate large vessels and will significantly improve maritime access to north Bengal and the upcoming Dankuni freight corridor.

The port was expected to provide direct employment for 25,000 individuals, while also generating vast indirect job opportunities. The earlier tender had outlined the allocation of 125 acres of seafront for port development and an additional 1,000 acres situated about 4 km away for industrial purposes   all without requiring further land acquisition.

What Lies Ahead

With the cancellation of the Adani deal, the West Bengal government is now set to attract fresh bidders and revitalize interest in the Tajpur port. Given the project's scale and strategic importance, industry experts will be closely watching how the new tender process unfolds.

The fresh tender marks not just a new chapter for Tajpur, but also signals Bengal’s broader ambitions to emerge as a key logistics and maritime hub on the eastern coast of India.