New exclusive data collected by Container News points to a rebound in box volumes moving via Mundra Port, India’s busiest cargo hub, in November.
According to the latest figures, the four Adani Group-controlled Mundra terminals together handled 438,453 TEUs last month, versus 431,334 TEUs during October.
The private harbour also includes a DP World concession, named Mundra International Container Terminal (MICT), which handled 90,781 TEUs in November, versus 92,908 TEUs in the prior month. That takes Mundra’s November combined throughput to 529,234 TEUs, up from 524,242 TEUs in October, according to CN data.
The volume trend-up, albeit modest, at Adani’s flagship port is noteworthy, given the current demand pressure.
Container volumes across the Adani port network in India (APSEZ) also edged up last month. The group saw 693,624 TEUs, out of six box-handling locations, up 2.5% from October figures, CN data shows.
In addition to Mundra, APSEZ has container terminals at Kattupalli, Ennore, Krishnapatnam, Hazira and Gangavaram.
The private behemoth is set to acquire Karaikal Port, a multi-purpose privately-built cargo gateway in India’s southern region.
The group has reportedly bid about Rs. 1,200 crore (US$150 million) for the concession rights, according to industry sources.
The planned investment is the latest in a series of port takeovers APSEZ has made in recent years across India, the last notable being the addition of the Gangavaram port to its network.
APSEZ has also signed a concession agreement for berth mechanisation at Haldia Port, near Kolkata, taking its Indian footprint to 13 locations.
It is also gearing up for a new harbour at Tajpur in West Bengal, a greenfield site expected to be in five years.
APSEZ has also been actively pursuing investments in global markets. The company recently signed a US$1.2 billion deal to secure concession rights for the Haifa port, Israel’s second-busiest gateway.
Additionally, the group has an ongoing terminal development at Sri Lanka’s Colombo Port. The West Container Terminal (WCT) is targeted for completion in 2025 under a two-phased development, able to provide an annual capacity of 3.5 million TEUs when fully operational.
“APSEZ remains committed to its philosophy of ensuring sustainable growth in partnership with our key stakeholders,” APSEZ CEO Karan Adani said in a recent statement.
He added, “We are on track to achieve our full year guidance of 350-360 MMT cargo volumes.”
Jenny Daniel
Global Correspondent
Contact email: [email protected]
