SMPK, JSW Infra Sign ₹740 Cr Port Project Concession Deal

Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port, Kolkata (SMPK), has entered into a 30-year concession agreement with JSW Infrastructure Ltd to carry out a ₹740-crore infrastructure development project that includes increasing container cargo handling capacity at the Kolkata Dock System.

As per the agreements, the works include the rebuilding of Berth 8 and the installation of rail-mounted quay cranes (RMQCs) at Berths 7 and 8 of Netaji Subhas Dock. Besides these solutions, the development of a 25-acre backup area is also planned to provide an efficient cargo operation. Projections of when the upgraded terminal will be functioning are for 5 lakh twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) annually.

This project gives a message that a big step in the direction of SMPK's container handling capabilities is taken and the port has been brought-in-line with international standards for infrastructure.

At the signing ceremony, SMPK Chairman Rathendra Raman enlightened the importance of this project. He said, “Such a project is our determination to keep up the port and trade infrastructure, more in conformity with Indian Government’s vision of world-class ports.”

The ceremony was held among SMPK Deputy Chairman Samrat Rahi, senior officials from the Kolkata Dock System, and JSW Infrastructure representatives, including Director Devki Nandan.

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JSW Infrastructure, India’s second-largest commercial port, is continuing to increase its presence across top maritime locations, and this collaboration is another silver lining in their strategy to tap into India's port-led growth.

The project will enable the efficient use of operating capacities in a big way and inject economic activities in the eastern region of India.