Thirty years after the State shook hands with private players, its coastal economy faces a crucial test
When Gujarat opened its coastline to private investors in the late 1990s, it had a straightforward proposition: Build world-class ports, operate them for 30 years and help transform the State into India’s maritime gateway. Nearly three decades later, that proposition is approaching its first real test.
The operating rights for Gujarat’s first generation of privately developed ports — Pipavav and Mundra — are entering the final stretch of their concession period, putting the State’s next phase of port policy under the spotlight. With newer maritime projects in States such as Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and Kerala moving towards longer concessions, Gujarat’s approach to future port agreements could shape the next cycle of private investments along its coastline.
The first major private port concession agreement set to expire in Gujarat belongs to APM Terminals Pipavav, part of the Netherlands-based APM Terminals group. The port’s 30-year build-own-operate-transfer, or BOOT, concession agreement was signed in 1998 and is valid till September 29, 2028.
