JSW Infrastructure Wins Kolkata Port Project to Rebuild and Mechanise Key Berths

8 Jul 2025 , 10:20 AM

JSW Infrastructure has picked up a new port redevelopment project in Kolkata, after being awarded the contract by the Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port Authority earlier this week. The work involves rebuilding berth 8 and adding mechanised systems to both berths 7 and 8 at Netaji Subhas Dock, which has long been due for a capacity upgrade.

The contract falls under the DBFOT model, meaning JSW will not just build the infrastructure but also finance and operate it, before eventually handing it back. The company has been given a 30-year concession period to run the terminal, which gives them time to recover the investment and optimise the operations over the long term.

Capital spending for the project is pegged around ₹740 crore, and the construction window is expected to stretch over the next two years. JSW is expected to begin operating parts of the terminal even as construction continues, which gives them early access to cargo volumes already moving through the port.

This project fits neatly into the company’s broader plan to build a stronger footprint along India’s eastern coastline, particularly at high-traffic government-run ports being opened to private operators.

At present, JSW Infrastructure runs a container terminal at New Mangalore on the west coast. That facility handles around 0.2 million TEUs, but expansion plans are underway to raise it to 0.35 million.

Once the Kolkata terminal is added, JSW’s overall container capacity will move closer to the one million TEU mark, which places it in a much stronger position in the country’s growing port sector.

Industry watchers see this move as part of a larger trend, with private firms stepping in to modernise ageing public infrastructure under the government’s asset monetisation framework. For Kolkata Port, which has faced space and efficiency challenges for years, this redevelopment could help improve ship turnaround times and boost cargo handling over the long term.

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