Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal has inaugurated seven infrastructure projects worth ₹427.80 crore at Paradip Port Authority (PPA) in Odisha, marking a major upgrade in the port’s cargo-handling capacity, connectivity, navigation and operational infrastructure. The developments also mark Paradip Port’s achievement of an 18.5-metre deep-draft capability, enabling its inner harbour to handle fully laden Capesize vessels.
The largest project in the package is the ₹352-crore capital dredging project, which has deepened the port’s draft to 18.5 metres. The enhanced draft is expected to allow larger vessels to call at the port, improve economies of scale and help reduce vessel turnaround time and logistics costs.
The infrastructure package also includes a ₹24.89-crore 500-metre, three-lane bridge across Atharbanki Creek, complete with footpaths and a dedicated pipeline corridor. The bridge is expected to ease congestion on a route used by nearly 3,000 trucks daily. Other projects include a ₹15.50-crore Advanced Vessel Traffic Management and Information System, a ₹20-crore piped natural gas (PNG) connectivity project for 546 residential quarters and a ₹12.18-crore upgrade of the port’s administrative office building. A sports hostel worth ₹2.10 crore has also been developed to support aspiring athletes.
The new vessel traffic management system, developed in collaboration with the National Technology Centre for Ports, Waterways and Coasts at IIT Madras, integrates technologies including radar, Automatic Identification System (AIS), CCTV, artificial intelligence and 3D visualisation. The system is designed to strengthen vessel monitoring, navigation safety and operational efficiency at the port.
Alongside the project inaugurations, Sonowal witnessed the signing of three concession agreements worth ₹1,580.36 crore for berth mechanisation under the Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) model. The projects cover a South Quay facility with 5 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) capacity, an 8 MTPA multipurpose berth and a 10 MTPA captive CQ-III berth. The initiatives form part of Paradip Port’s plan to achieve 100 per cent berth mechanisation by 2030, compared with around 80 per cent currently.
The event also marked the plantation of Paradip Port’s one-millionth tree, highlighting its parallel focus on environmental sustainability. The port has intensified its green-cover programme in recent years, with around one lakh trees being planted annually over the past four years through the participation of employees, stakeholders and local communities.
Sonowal said the expansion of Paradip Port’s capacity would create a wider economic multiplier for eastern India by strengthening maritime trade, logistics, industrial activity and employment. The latest investments are expected to reinforce Paradip’s position as a major maritime gateway while supporting the development of more efficient and globally competitive port infrastructure.
