Prime Minister Narendra Modi Friday laid the foundation stone for the Vadhavan Port project in Maharashtra’s Palghar district, near Dahanu town. The port is set to become one of India’s largest deep-water ports, with a total project cost of Rs 76,220 crore.
Vadhavan Port, a joint venture between Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority and Maharashtra Maritime Board, will enhance India’s maritime infrastructure. It will feature 9 container terminals, 4 multipurpose berths, 4 liquid cargo berths, a Ro-Ro berth, and a Coast Guard berth, with a depth of 20 meters, handling vessels up to 24,000 TEUs.
Modi described the day as historic for both Maharashtra and India’s development. He stated, “The Vadhavan Port will be the country’s largest container port and will be counted among the world’s deep-water ports. It will become an epicenter of trade and industrial development for Maharashtra and India.”
Speaking about the Indian maritime sector, Sarbananda Sonowal, MoPSW said, “The Indian maritime sector has emerged as one of the top sectors globally on multiple parameters, and I am confident that we will be among the top 10 maritime sectors in the world soon.”
Modi also addressed the recent decision to develop the Dighi Port Industrial Area, which will be located in Raigarh, Maharashtra. He referred to it as an “identity of Maharashtra and a symbol of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s dreams.”
He noted that the development of the industrial area would boost tourism and eco-resorts.The Prime Minister emphasized that the Vadhavan Port will transform the economic landscape of the region due to its connectivity. He said, “The entire world is looking towards Vadhavan Port today. Very few ports in the world can match Vadhavan Port’s depth of 20 meters.”He added that the port’s connectivity to the Western Freight Corridor and the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway will facilitate year-round cargo flow, benefiting Maharashtra’s economy.
Located 150 km from JNPA and Nashik, and 180 km from Surat, Vadhavan Port is well-connected to major highways and the Dedicated Freight Corridor. It will serve a broad hinterland, including Maharashtra, Gujarat, and parts of Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, and Chhattisgarh, handling containerized, coal, and breakbulk cargo. It will offer a more efficient alternative to existing ports like JNPA, Mundra, and others.
ET had reported that the development of Vadhavan Port is expected to relieve congestion at existing ports and improve trade efficiency. JNPA Chairman Unmesh Wagh noted that Vadhavan Port might temporarily reduce JNPA’s capacity by handling 10-12% of its current cargo volume. However, this shift is expected to benefit the region by freeing up space for local cargo and improving operational alignment with the port’s hinterland.
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