JSW Infra to invest ₹740 cr in developing container berths at Kolkata Port

JSW Infra will develop container berths at Kolkata Port with a ₹740 crore capex, focusing on enhancing handling capacity under a 30-year concession period as part of government's port privatisation

JSW Infrastructure (JSW Infra) will develop container berths for the Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port Authority at Netaji Subhas Dock, Kolkata, with an estimated capital expenditure (capex) of ₹740 crore.

 

The company has received a letter of award from the port authority for the reconstruction of Berth 8 and the mechanisation of Berths 7 and 8, according to its stock exchange filing on Monday (7 July).

 

The project, awarded on a design, build, finance, operate, and transfer (DBFOT) basis under the public-private partnership (PPP) model, aims to enhance the container-handling capacity at the port.

 

The project has a 30-year concession period and aligns with JSW Infra’s strategy to expand its terminal portfolio under the government’s port privatisation initiative, the company noted.

 

The project has a construction timeline of two years. The company will also be able to commence operations during the construction phase, leveraging Kolkata city’s steady cargo volumes, JSW Infra said. 

 

The development marks a key milestone in JSW Infrastructure’s strategy to diversify its cargo portfolio through targeted investments in the container segment.

 

On the west coast, JSW Infra is operating the New Mangalore container terminal with a current capacity of 0.2 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) (4.2 million tonnes per annum), which is being expanded to 0.35 million TEUs (6 million tonnes per annum) at an estimated capex of ₹150 crore. The Kolkata project brings the company’s total container-handling capacity close to 1 million TEUs.

 

The company’s overall cargo handling capacity stood at 177 million tonnes per annum (mtpa) as of FY25. It aims to expand this capacity to 400 mtpa by FY30 or earlier, with a capex plan of ₹30,000 crore for ports and ₹9,000 crore for the logistics business (FY25-FY30).

 

JSW Infra aims to achieve this capacity through privatisation bids, leveraging its balance sheet for other inorganic growth opportunities, and the value-accretive acquisition of port-related logistics infrastructure.