Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone is evaluating a potential bid for Associated British Ports, the United Kingdom’s largest port operator, people aware of the discussions told Moneycontrol. A spokesperson said the company does not comment on market speculation and continuously evaluates opportunities that align with its long-term strategy. The spokesperson added that the approach aims to create sustainable value for stakeholders. The discussions remain at an early stage and may not result in a formal offer.

Associated British Ports operates 21 ports across England, Scotland and Wales, including facilities in Southampton and the Humber, and handles around 25 per cent of the UK’s seaborne trade. Its operations include containers, automobiles, dry and liquid bulk cargo, cruise vessels and industrial real estate.

CPP Investments and Ontario Municipal Employees Retirement System own around 64 per cent of ABP and a sale could value the group at more than £10 billion (bn), according to people familiar with the matter. Bloomberg reported that preliminary interest has come from global infrastructure investors and port operators including KKR, Global Infrastructure Partners, Brookfield and DP World, but no formal bids had been submitted.

An acquisition would be Adani Ports’ largest overseas transaction. APSEZ has expanded internationally with purchases including Haifa Port, acquired with Gadot Group for about $1.18 billion (bn), in which it holds a 70 per cent stake. The group also operates terminals in Colombo, Dar es Salaam and North Queensland.

Domestically APSEZ is India’s largest private port operator, with a network of 15 ports and terminals and cargo-handling capacity of about 627 million tonnes per annum. The company handled a record 500 million tonnes of cargo in FY26 and aims to take volumes to one billion tonnes by 2030. Market participants are expected to monitor developments as the potential process evolves.