International Cargo Seaport: Mundra Port

Among many important trade ports in India, Mundra Port is the largest commercial port of its ilk in the country. The port is now currently under the authorities of the Adani Ports & SEZ (APSEZ), a company under the auspices of Adani Group and also India’s largest commercial multi-port operator.

About Mundra Port

Mundra Port is located on the northern shores of the Gulf of Kutch near Mundra, Gujarat. With a strategic location in the northern hinterlands of India, the port enjoys easy access for cargo ships to ship their cargo to and from India thanks to the direct access to the Arabian Sea.

The History

The port’s history began with the approval of the initial construction of the port in a limited scale by the Gujarat Maritime Board (GMB) in 1994. Four years later, the port was incorporated as Gujarat Adani Port Limited (GAPL) before starting its operations formally in 2001.

The port’s administration entered an agreement with GMB to maintain and continuously develop Mundra n 2001. In the next year, the Adipur-Mundra railway route that passed through the port was combined with the Indian Railways, further increasing interconnectivity between the port and other regions in India.

By 2003, the port was incorporated as the Mundra Special Economic Zone, India’s first special economic zone that could handle multiple commodities in a single seaport. To accommodate more cargo operations, four new berths were added in 2003 and 2007 to handle the bulk type of cargo. The port’s equity shares in MPSEZ were then listed in India’s National Stock Change, further solidifying the port’s overall economic value. On January 6, 2012, MPSEZ changed its name to APSEZ.

Volume of Transaction in Mundra Port

In 2021, Mundra Port reported a 7.22 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) in the container segment, in which APSEZ managed to register a 16% Year on Year growth rate in April 2021. Along with Hazira Port (another port under APSEZ’s authority), Mundra managed to handle 6.32 million TEUs of container volume in FY2021, in which these ports have also managed to increase their market share to 48% in the same FY.

By the end of the year, the port has reached a record container volume of 5.65 million TEUs (18% on Year on Year basis). This volume was larger than the 4.7 million TEUs container volume handled by Jawaharlal Nehru Port (JNPT), the second largest container port in India.

In the same fiscal year, Mundra reported 140 million tons of cargo handling, which marked a steady 4% Year on Year growth basis, further enhancing the port’s overall economic growth in the year and APSEZ’s role as the country’s largest port developer and operator.

Interesting Facts

Almost all important infrastructures that are located on the northern shores of the Gulf of Kutch belong to Adani Group, APSEZ’s parent group. For example, Mundra Airport, located close to the port, also belongs to the Adani Group. Originally a private airport intended only for Adani Group’s operations, the airport is slated to be open for commercial flights in 2022.

On another topic, Mundra Port was certified as a Great Place to Work in FY 2021-22, thanks to the company’s young and dynamic workforce that enhances the port’s overall work performance and spirit.