Deendayal Port Authority Crowned ‘Smart Port of the Year’
Deendayal Port Authority bags 'Smart Port of the Year' award and partners with Essar Ports for a Rs 2,276 crore cargo terminal at Tuna Tekra.
The Deendayal Port Authority (DPA) in Kandla has achieved a major milestone, bagging the prestigious Deendayal Port Authority award for 'Smart Port of the Year' at the Smart Logistics Awards 2026. The event, hosted by Maritime Gateway in Rajkot, Gujarat, highlighted the port's commitment to evolving into a future-ready, efficient, and technologically advanced maritime hub.
Expressing his pride, DPA Chairman Sushil Kumar Singh extended his congratulations to the entire port ecosystem. He credited the success to the combined hard work of port users, stakeholders, officers, trade unions, employees, and the dedicated shramiks whose commitment has driven the port's development.
Massive Infrastructure Boost: The Tuna Tekra Project
The award comes at a time when the DPA is aggressively expanding its cargo-handling capabilities. In a significant move to bolster India's maritime infrastructure, the port authority has issued a Letter of Award (LoA) to Essar Ports Limited for the creation of a state-of-the-art multi-purpose cargo terminal at Tuna Tekra, Kandla.
This ambitious project carries an estimated cost of Rs 2,276.06 crore. It will be executed under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model on a Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) basis, with a concession period spanning 30 years.
Key Financials and Partnership Details
- Investment Split: The concessionaire will invest Rs 1,552.57 crore, while the DPA will contribute Rs 723.49 crore.
- Bidding Process: Essar Ports Limited secured the project through a global competitive bidding process, offering a royalty of Rs 61 per tonne to the DPA.
- Strategic Location: The new terminal will be situated on the eastern side of the Mega Container Terminal at Tuna Tekra, which is currently being developed by DP World.
Engineering Excellence: Capacity and Capabilities
The proposed terminal is not just about scale but also about high-end efficiency. Designed to handle 18.33 million tonnes of cargo annually, the facility will feature four berths. Each berth will measure 300 metres, providing a total aggregate berth length of 1,200 metres.
One of the most impressive technical aspects of the project is its ability to accommodate Cape-size vessels of up to 1,70,000 deadweight tonnes (DWT), supported by a draft capability of up to 18 metres.
Looking Ahead to 2031
The formal handover of the Letter of Award took place with Chairman Sushil Kumar Singh presenting the document to Ashish Rajgarhia, CEO of Essar Ports, and V Srinivasan, Operating Partner-Infrastructure Vertical.
Commercial operations for the multi-purpose cargo terminal are expected to begin by 2031. Once operational, the facility is poised to significantly enhance the DPA's cargo-handling capacity, streamline India's trade logistics, and act as a catalyst for port-led economic growth across Gujarat and its surrounding hinterlands, benefiting both domestic and export-import (EXIM) trade.