Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone Ltd (APSEZ), India’s largest port developer and part of the Adani Group, on Saturday inaugurated the Phase II expansion of Dhamra Port in Odisha.
The inauguration ceremony took place in the presence of the Chief Minister of Odisha, Mr Naveen Patnaik, as well as Mr Nrusingha Charan Sahoo, Minister, Commerce and Transport; Mr Bijyashree Routray, Minister, Forest and Environment; Mr Prafulla Samal, Minister, Social Security and Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities, Women and Child Development and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, along with Mr Gautam Adani, Chairman, Adani Group; Mr Karan Adani, CEO, APSEZ, and other dignitaries and company officials.
Speaking on the occasion Mr Naveen Patnaik observed, “The Dhamra Port is a model of modern maritime trade in Odisha and a successful example of the PPP model. The industrial park being set up by Adani will unleash large scale industrialisation in the area and create employment opportunities.”
“This is a very proud moment for all of us in Odisha as well as the entire country. The Phase II expansion of Dhamra Port will not only make Dhamra India’s largest port but will also serve as India’s major gateway for trade with South-East Asian nations. We would like to sincerely thank all the government officials for their support in completing this expansion which will enhance growth, trade and industry for Odisha and India,” said Mr Gautam Adani.
Commented Mr Karan Adani: “We are delighted by the speed of execution of our teams that completed this expansion of the Phase II of Dhamra Port way before schedule. This expansion will help us achieve our vision 2020 of 200 mt well ahead of time and we now aim to touch 500 mt by the year 2025. We acknowledge the support of the government of Odisha, which enabled us to achieve this feat which renews our conviction and commitment to make Adani Dhamra Port an island of excellence, not only for Odisha but also for India.”
The Phase II expansion of Dhamra Port will increase the cargo handling capacity of the port to over 100 million tonnes per annum (mtpa), up from 25 mtpa currently handled. The company deployed more than 3,000 manpower with around 88 per cent locals for the expansion work.
Dhamra Port is located 215 km from Bhubaneswar and is situated between Haldia in West Bengal and Paradip in Odisha. The port serves as a gateway to Nepal, Bangladesh, Myanmar and the entire geopolitical region, including the ASEAN countries.
APSEZ is the country’s largest port company with footprints across the coastline. Present in ten locations, it has proven expertise in building, operating and maintaining world class port infrastructure. APSEZ operates ports in Mundra, Hazira, Tuna Tekra (Kandla) and Dahej in Gujarat, Dhamra in Odisha, Kattuppalli and Ennore in Tamil Nadu, besides operating specialised coal handling facilities at Mormugao in Goa and Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh. It is also setting up a container transhipment hub at Vizhinjam in Kerala.
