Union Shipping Secretary Vijay Kumar reviewed the progress of the Vadhvan Port project in Maharashtra’s Palghar district, highlighting the need for close coordination among stakeholders and timely execution. The review focused on maintaining construction momentum as multiple development activities proceed in parallel.

The greenfield, all-weather port is being developed near Dahanu through a special purpose vehicle formed by the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority (JNPA) and the Maharashtra Maritime Board. The facility is intended to include several container terminals, along with cargo handling and storage infrastructure designed to increase India’s maritime capacity.

During his visit to the Varor site, Kumar assessed progress on near-shore reclamation, breakwater construction, external connectivity, utility infrastructure and land acquisition. Officials briefed him on milestones completed so far and plans for subsequent phases of the project, according to a release issued by the district administration.

Kumar, who is secretary in the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, also interacted with project stakeholders during the site review. He stressed that seamless coordination would be necessary to keep the works on schedule, complete enabling infrastructure and support the effective scaling up of port operations.

The project involves reclaiming land from the sea and establishing extensive facilities for containerised cargo. Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone for Vadhvan Port on August 30, 2024. On completion, the port is designed to strengthen India’s cargo handling capacity and rank among the world’s top 10 container ports.