Rajkot (Gujarat) [India], October 31 (ANI): Deendayal Port Authority (DPA), Kandla, has bagged the prestigious 'Smart Port of the Year' award at the Smart Logistics Awards 2026, organised by Maritime Gateway in Rajkot, recognising its efforts towards developing a smarter, more efficient and future-ready port.

DPA Chairman Sushil Kumar Singh congratulated the entire port fraternity, including port users, stakeholders, officers, trade unions, employees and dedicated shramiks, for their collective efforts and commitment towards the port's development.

The recognition comes amid DPA's ongoing efforts to strengthen its cargo-handling infrastructure. 

On October 21, the port authority issued a Letter of Award (LoA) to Essar Ports Limited for developing a multi-purpose cargo terminal at Tuna Tekra, Kandla, at an estimated project cost of Rs 2,276.06 crore.

The project will be implemented on a Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) basis under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) mode for a concession period of 30 years, marking a step towards strengthening India's maritime infrastructure.

According to DPA, Essar Ports Limited emerged as the highest bidder through a global competitive bidding process, offering a royalty of Rs 61 per tonne payable to DPA. The terminal will be developed on the eastern side of DPA's Mega Container Terminal at Tuna Tekra, which is being developed by DP World under the PPP mode.

The project is expected to augment DPA's multipurpose cargo-handling capacity and support the long-term growth of domestic and export-import (EXIM) trade, the port authority said.

On the occasion, DPA Chairman Sushil Kumar Singh formally handed over the Letter of Award to V Srinivasan, Operating Partner-Infrastructure Vertical, and Ashish Rajgarhia, Chief Executive Officer of Essar Ports, in the presence of senior officials from DPA and Essar Ports Limited.

The terminal is designed to handle 18.33 million tonnes of cargo annually. The estimated project cost is Rs 2,276.06 crore, comprising an investment of Rs 1,552.57 crore by the concessionaire and Rs 723.49 crore by DPA

The facility will comprise four berths, each measuring 300 metres, providing an aggregate berth length of 1,200 metres. It is designed to accommodate Cape-size vessels of up to 1,70,000 deadweight tonnes (DWT), with a draft capability of up to 18 metres. Commercial operations are expected to commence by 2031.

The multi-purpose cargo terminal is expected to strengthen DPA's cargo-handling capabilities, improve the efficiency of India's trade logistics and contribute to port-led economic growth in Gujarat and the wider hinterland. (ANI)