(THE NEWSMAN OF INDIA.COM)
Mumbai, July 29, 2022: Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority (JNPA), India’s best performing Port, signed a concession agreement with JM Baxi Ports and Logistics Ltd. – CMA Terminals on July 29, 2022. JNPA becomes India’s first 100% Landlord, Major Port. The new name of the JNCPT will be NHAVA SHEVA FREEPORT TERMINAL PRIVATE LIMITED. The agreement was signed in the presence of Sanjay Sethi, IAS, Chairman, JNPA, Unmesh Sharad Wagh, IRS, Dy. Chairman, JNPA, Dhruv Krishna Kotak,J M Baxi Group, Atit Mahajan, MD, CMA CGM (INDIA), and all the HODs of JNPA.

Speaking at the occasion Sanjay Sethi, IAS, Chairman, JNPA said, “JNPCT is now a PPP terminal, the successful bidder being a consortium of J M Baxi and CMA Terminals. The concessionaire has to upgrade, operate, maintain and transfer this terminal on PPP basis in two phases. JNPA will continue to develop and provide new infrastructure. Many of the major global ports are today landlord facilities, whose key responsibilities include marketing. We will now be taking up marketing in a more streamlined manner, with the Authority doing common port business development.”

The Phase-I of the project will be completed in 18 months from the date of award of the concession agreement. The development of Phase-II will commence after achieving 1.02 million TEUs or seven years, whichever is earlier. The Jawaharlal Nehru Port Container Terminal (JNPCT) has 2 berths with a total length of 680m and 15m draft which will be handed over under this PPP contract along with the backup area of 54.74 hectares for 30 years.

JNPCT is presently handling 9000 TEUs capacity vessels and with the upgradation, it can handle 12200 TEUs capacity vessels. It is also proposed to increase the RMQC rail span from 20 meters to 30.5 meters at the port. Investment for this project will be carried out by the concessioner at a total cost of Rs. 872 crores. The concessioner has to upgrade, operate, maintain and transfer this terminal on a PPP basis.

JNP is one of the leading container ports in the country and is ranked 26th among the top 100 global ports (as per Lloyds List Top 100 Ports 2021 Report). Currently, five container terminals are operated at JNP, of which only one is port owned With its state-of-the-art facilities JNP meets all the international standards, user-friendly atmosphere, and excellent connectivity by rail and road to the hinterland.