The West Bengal Government on Monday issued a fresh Request for Proposal (RFP) for developing the mega Tajpur deep-sea port in East Medinipur, effectively scrapping the previous tender in which Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone (APSEZ) had emerged the winning bidder.

In the earlier process, a provisional Letter of Intent to Award (LOIA) was issued to APSEZ in October 2022 after it emerged as the L1 bidder. However, the State Cabinet decided this year to invite new bids for the greenfield port, ending its four-year engagement with the Adani Group for the project.

The new RFP, issued by the West Bengal Maritime Board, invites bids from experienced developers to build the port on a Design, Build, Finance, Operate and Transfer (DBFOT) basis with flexibility in design and tariff setting. The project comes with a 99-year concession period, and the State will support the developer with rail and road connectivity. A total of 1,000 acres has been earmarked for the project.

A pre-bid meeting is scheduled for 14 January 2026. Bid submissions will open on 1 February and close on 27 February, with bids set to be opened on 3 March.

The Standing Committee of the State Cabinet on Industry, Infrastructure and Employment first granted in-principle approval for the Tajpur port on 17 August 2016, with expected investment of Rs 250 billion. In August 2020, the Cabinet approved development of the port independently by the West Bengal Maritime Board, and an Expression of Interest was floated in December 2020. APSEZ later won that round, ahead of JSW Infrastructure, prompting the 2022 LOIA.

Subsequently, the Mamata Banerjee Government distanced itself from the Adani Group’s involvement, casting uncertainty over the project. At the Bengal Global Business Summit in November 2023, Banerjee announced that the port was ready for fresh tendering and invited industry participation.