India to create $9bn mega port Near Mumbai

Located about 150 kms from Mumbai, Vadhavan is part of a strategic initiative to establish sea and rail links connecting India with Europe through the Middle East. The port’s construction, with an estimated cost of approximately $9.14bn, will commence soon; the first phase expected to be completed by 2029.

The Vadhavan port will feature terminals capable of accommodating “mega vessels” and handling petroleum, automobiles, and other imports. 

Development of the port aligns with India’s broader infrastructure goals and was highlighted as a significant component of the India-Middle East corridor plan announced during the G20 summit in New Delhi in September.

Information Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw emphasised the port’s critical role in enhancing India’s connectivity with global markets.

Vadhavan has a natural draught of up to 20 meters (65 feet), allowing it to handle the largest ships in the world. It will be an all-cargo port with zones for containers, dry and wet bulk. The government will reclaim 1,448 hectares of sea area and construct over six miles of offshore breakwater along with container and cargo storage areas. The port will have a total annual capacity to handle nearly 300m tonnes of cargo. By 2035, they expect the port will handle 15m teu annually, growing to 23m teu by 2040. 

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The port will include nine container terminals, each over 3,200 feet long, four multipurpose berths, including the coastal berth, four liquid cargo berths, a Ro-Ro berth, and a Coast Guard berth.