JSW Infrastructure wins Kolkata port project; total container capacity to rise to 1.8 million TEUs

JSW Infrastructure has secured a major container terminal project at Kolkata's Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port Authority (SMPA), strengthening its presence in eastern India and accelerating its push into the container cargo segment.

The company has received a Letter of Award (LoA) for the integrated development of the Outer Container Terminal at Netaji Subhas Dock (NSD) in the Kolkata Dock System. Awarded under the Design, Build, Finance, Operate and Transfer (DBFOT) model through a public-private partnership (PPP) framework, the project is expected to add around 0.93 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) of container handling capacity.

30-year concession to add 0.93 million TEUs

"JSW Infrastructure has received a Letter of Award from the Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port Authority for the integrated development of the Outer Container Terminal comprising two berths and five berths at Netaji Subhas Dock. Under the 30-year concession agreement, the project will be executed in two phases and is expected to create a capacity of about 0.93 million TEUs," the company said in a statement.

The latest award builds on JSW Infrastructure's earlier Kolkata project involving the reconstruction of Berth 8 and mechanisation of Berths 7 and 8 at NSD. The project, awarded under a separate 30-year concession, entails an estimated investment of ₹740 crore and is expected to add another 0.45 million TEUs of capacity. Interim operations at the facility are expected to commence shortly even as construction activities continue.

Kolkata capacity to reach 1.4 million TEUs

Together, the two projects are expected to significantly expand the company's footprint at one of India's key eastern gateway ports. Upon completion, JSW Infrastructure's container handling capacity at the Kolkata Dock System is projected to reach approximately 1.4 million TEUs.

The latest expansion will also lift the company's overall container handling capacity to nearly 1.8 million TEUs. On the west coast, JSW Infrastructure operates the New Mangalore Container Terminal, where capacity is being expanded from 0.2 million TEUs to 0.35 million TEUs.

Focus on container cargo diversification

"The development is backed by strong cargo demand from the Kolkata metropolitan region and its established hinterland. The projects are expected to address existing capacity constraints at Netaji Subhas Dock, improve berth productivity through mechanisation and enhance vessel turnaround times. The additional container capacity is aligned with the company's strategy to diversify its cargo portfolio and progressively scale up its third-party cargo business," the company said in a statement.

Notably, the Kolkata projects mark a key step in JSW Infrastructure's strategy to diversify its cargo mix beyond bulk commodities and increase the share of containerised cargo in its portfolio. India's second-largest private commercial port operator currently manages 13 port concessions across the country's eastern and western coasts, besides maintaining an international presence through terminal operations and storage assets in the UAE.