Kandla Port to Expand Operations Beyond Gujarat

16 Sep 2025 CW Team

In a strategic shift, Kandla Port, managed by the Deendayal Port Authority (DPA), is preparing to expand its operations beyond Gujarat for the first time. The authority has confirmed that it is exploring opportunities to manage both public and private terminals in Maharashtra and Karnataka.

Kandla Port, located in Gujarat’s Kutch district, has traditionally been one of India’s busiest ports, handling more than 150 million tonnes of cargo in the last financial year. About 60 per cent of this was petroleum, oil, and lubricants, while the remainder included timber, food grains, chemicals, and containerised cargo.

The decision to expand outside Gujarat is aimed at replicating the port’s efficiency model across other coastal states, thereby enhancing India’s overall maritime logistics network. Officials have indicated that the authority is “ownership-agnostic,” meaning it is open to managing both government-run and privately operated terminals.

Meanwhile, several major projects are underway at Kandla itself. A deep-draft multi-cargo berth capable of handling 18 million tonnes annually is under construction, along with a new container terminal of 2.3 million TEUs being developed through a public-private partnership. The container terminal is expected to be operational by September 2027.

Experts believe the expansion will ease congestion at India’s major ports, improve trade competitiveness, and modernise port operations across the western coast.

Infrastructure Transport

09 Jan 2026

India Becomes First to Produce Bio-Bitumen for Roads

India has become the first country in the world to commercially produce bio-bitumen for use in road construction, according to Road, Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari. Bitumen, a black and viscous hydrocarbon derived from crude oil, is a key binding material in road building, and the bio-based alternative is expected to significantly improve the sector’s environmental footprint.Addressing the CSIR Technology Transfer Ceremony in New Delhi, Mr Gadkari congratulated Council of Scientific and Industrial Research on achieving the milestone, noting that the initiative would help curb ..

HILT Policy Seen Boosting Telangana Revenue Sharply

The Hyderabad Industrial Land Transformation (HILT) Policy is expected to generate around Rs 1.08 billion in revenue for the Telangana state exchequer, according to Deputy Chief Minister Bhatti Vikramarka Mallu. Speaking in the Telangana Legislative Assembly, he said the policy would be implemented within a six-month timeframe in a transparent manner, with uniform rules applicable to all stakeholders. Mr Vikramarka noted that without the HILT Policy, the state would have earned only about Rs 1.2 million per acre. Under the new framework, however, revenue is projected to rise sharply to Rs 70 ..

India Post, MoRD Tie Up to Boost Rural Inclusion

The Department of Posts and the Ministry of Rural Development have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to accelerate rural transformation and expand financial, digital and logistics services for Self-Help Groups (SHGs) and rural households across India. The agreement was signed in the presence of Union Minister of Communications and Development of North Eastern Region Jyotiraditya M. Scindia and Union Minister of Rural Development and Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Shivraj Singh Chouhan. The collaboration aligns with the government’s “Dak Sewa, Jan Sewa” vision and seeks to repositi..