THEBUSINESSBYTES BUREAU

PARADIP, AUGUST 21, 2026

Union Ports, Shipping and Waterways Minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Friday inaugurated infrastructure projects worth ₹427.80 crore at Paradip Port, marking a major leap in the Odisha port's capacity with the achievement of an 18.5-metre deep-draft capability, even as the port unveiled an ambitious ₹1,580.36-crore mechanisation push to make all its berths fully mechanised by 2030.

The projects, spanning navigation, connectivity, safety, sustainability, residential infrastructure and community development, are expected to strengthen Paradip's position as a key maritime gateway on India's eastern coast, improve cargo-handling efficiency and reduce vessel turnaround and logistics costs. The occasion also marked a significant environmental milestone, with Sonowal planting Paradip Port Authority's one-millionth tree as the port expands its green cover alongside its physical capacity.

Sonowal said the expansion of Paradip Port would have an impact far beyond the port's boundaries, creating a growth multiplier for eastern India by strengthening trade, logistics, industry and employment.

"The expansion of Paradip Port's capacity is not only about strengthening one port; it is about creating a growth multiplier for eastern India. With deeper drafts, modern cargo-handling infrastructure, improved connectivity and greater mechanisation, Paradip is well positioned to drive trade, logistics, industry and employment across the region and contribute to India's emergence as a globally competitive maritime economy," he said.

The ₹427.80-crore project package includes ₹352 crore for capital dredging to enable the port to handle fully laden Capesize vessels in its inner harbour. The deeper draft is expected to improve economies of scale while helping lower vessel turnaround time and logistics costs.

A ₹24.89-crore project involving construction of the 500-metre, three-lane Atharbanki Second New Bridge, complete with footpaths and a dedicated pipeline corridor across Atharbanki Creek, is also part of the package. The bridge is expected to ease congestion on a route used by nearly 3,000 trucks every day.

The port has also commissioned a ₹2.10-crore sports hostel aimed at providing accommodation and facilities for aspiring athletes and supporting youth development. A ₹12.18-crore façade upgrade of the administrative office building, an 1980s-era structure, has been undertaken by NBCC (India) Ltd and includes improvements to parking and circulation facilities.

In another initiative aimed at improving the quality of life in the port township, Paradip Port is introducing piped natural gas in partnership with Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd. The first phase, involving an investment of ₹20 crore, will provide PNG connectivity to 546 residential quarters in Madhuban. The facility is expected to reduce household gas expenses by up to 40 per cent and make Paradip the first major port to provide PNG to its residential township.

The port has also deployed an Advanced Vessel Traffic Management and Information System at a cost of ₹15.50 crore. Developed in collaboration with the National Technology Centre for Ports, Waterways and Coasts at IIT Madras, the system integrates solid-state radar, artificial intelligence, AIS, CCTV, oil-spill monitoring and 3D visualisation to track vessel movements up to 20 nautical miles from a modern ATC-style signal station.

The infrastructure push was accompanied by a green milestone, with Sonowal planting the one-millionth tree at Paradip Port. The plantation drive, which gained momentum after the 1999 Super Cyclone, has been intensified in recent years, with the port authority saying nearly one lakh trees have been planted annually over the past four years with the participation of employees, stakeholders and local communities.

The port authories said the initiative is aimed at increasing green cover, strengthening biodiversity and advancing environmental sustainability as Paradip continues to expand its cargo-handling and industrial footprint.

At the same event, Paradip Port Authority signed concession agreements for three mechanisation projects involving a combined investment of ₹1,580.36 crore. The projects are part of PPA's roadmap to raise berth mechanisation from the current 80 per cent to 100 per cent by 2030, with the objective of making cargo handling faster, safer and cleaner.

The agreements include the 5 MTPA South Quay mechanisation project, awarded to Yogayatan Paradip SQB Terminal Pvt Ltd on a Build-Operate-Transfer basis at an estimated investment of ₹498.69 crore; the 8 MTPA Multipurpose Berth mechanisation project, awarded to Kalinga Bulk Terminal Paradip Pvt Ltd for ₹630.67 crore, also on a BOT basis; and the 10 MTPA captive CQ-III mechanisation project, awarded to AMNS Paradip Logistics Pvt Ltd at an estimated investment of ₹451 crore.

Sonowal said the transformation at Paradip was part of a broader modernisation of India's maritime sector under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

"Under the dynamic leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, India has embarked on an unprecedented phase of maritime modernisation. Over the past 12 years, we have fundamentally strengthened our ports, waterways, shipping and maritime capabilities, making the sector a powerful engine of growth and the anchor of an Atmanirbhar Bharat and our journey towards Viksit Bharat 2047," he said.

The minister was joined by Odisha Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Industries, Skill Development and Technical Education Sampad Chandra Swain, Jagatsinghpur MP Bibhu Prasad Tarai, Paradip Port Authority Chairman P L Haranadh, Deputy Chairman T Venu Gopal, senior officials, stakeholders and members of the Paradip port community.

Beyond infrastructure and cargo operations, PPA highlighted its efforts to link port-led development with employment generation and sustainable livelihoods in coastal communities.

During 2025-26, the port supported a placement-linked skilling programme through the Centre of Excellence in Maritime and Shipbuilding at Visakhapatnam, under the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways. Financial assistance enabled training for 168 unemployed youth from Odisha in Bhubaneswar in areas including inventory clerk, courier associate operations and supply chain executive, with the trained candidates subsequently placed in various companies.

PPA also extended support to the Marine Products Export Development Authority under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry for skill-development programmes among fishing communities, particularly around Paradip Fishing Harbour.

The programmes covered fish quality and hygienic handling, responsible fishing practices, distribution of square-mesh cod-ends and bio-toilets, besides awareness on turtle excluder devices and sustainable fisheries.

The initiatives are aimed at improving hygiene and safety in fishing operations while promoting sustainable fishing practices and creating alternative livelihood opportunities for coastal communities.