Karan Adani’s ports push: Vizhinjam milestone and record APSEZ profits

Adani Group chairman Gautam Adani’s eldest son Karan Adani, the managing director of Adani Ports and SEZ Ltd (APSEZ), had a memorable FY25. Prime among them was the operationalisation of the first phase of India’s first deep-sea transhipment port at Vizhinjam near Thiruvananthapuram. The port commenced full commercial operations in December. It has so far handled over 733,000 containers from 350 ships and is running at 110% capacity. Karan is looking to complete the remaining phases of Vizhinjam’s expansion by 2028, to raise capacity to 3 million TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units) per annum. APSEZ is also setting records in performance. Revenues grew 16% YoY to ₹31,079 crore in FY25, while profit after tax (PAT) hit a record ₹11,061 crore, a 37% growth YoY. The ports business grew 12% with industry-leading EBITDA margins of 73%, while the logistics business surged 40% and marine services posted over 80% growth. “The robust performance is due to the strength of our integrated business model, operational excellence (aided by AI and advanced analytics), and our investment in developing leadership and talent,” says Karan. The company also recorded an all-time high cargo volume of 450 million metric tonnes (MMT) during the fiscal, with Mundra becoming the first port in the country to handle 200 MMT in a single year. During the year, APSEZ launched a terminal at Colombo port, acquired coal-exporting port NQXT (North Queensland Export Terminal), and offshore support vessel (OSV) operator Astro Offshore. Astro owns a fleet of 26 OSVs in India and abroad. The Adani Group firm also won a bid to develop a berth at Deendayal Port in Gujarat. The 37-year-old is on a mission — to transform APSEZ into the world’s most integrated ports and logistics platform and the world’s largest port operator by 2030, and achieve carbon neutrality by 2025 and net-zero emissions by 2040. “Our strategy is clear: continue expanding both within India and internationally, maintain strong financial discipline, and keep innovating with technologies like AI and digitisation to drive efficiency,” says Karan.

Karan Adani’s ports push: Vizhinjam milestone and record APSEZ profits

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