Logistics giant DP World has inked an MoU with India’s Jawaharlal NehruPort Authority(JNPA) to develop India’s Vadhvan Port, north of Mumbai on the Arabian Sea coast, according to a press release (pdf). The tentative timeline for finalizing the agreement and its investment value were not disclosed, and Enterprise did not hear back from a representative ahead of dispatch time.

About the port: The proximity of the location to Mumbai along the Arabian Sea coast and Gujarat connects it to northern and central India via the national railway network and the NH8 highway makes it an attractive trade gateway for the region, the company said in the press release. The port has a water depth of 20 meters at a distance of 10 km, which means dredging is not required in the channel and harbor area because of its naturally deep draft, according to JNPA.

The port’s development targets: The port expects to add container capacity of some 15 mn TEUs by 2035, and 23.9 mn TEUs by 2040, JNPA said on its website.

DP World has been making moves in India: DP World currently operates five container terminals in India, one in each of Mundra, Cochin, and Chennai, and two in Nhava Sheva, with a combined capacity of some 6 mn TEUs, according to the press release. The logistics outfit recently signed a USD 510 mn concession agreement for a new mega container terminal at Kandla in India, and later said it plans to invest INR 2.15 bn in the logistics and warehousing sector in India’s Telangana state. Once the terminal at Kandla begins operations, it will bring DP World’s combined capacity in the country to 8.19 mn TEUs, according to the statement.

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