Mumbai Port Authority is set to hand over Indira Dock cargo berth operations to J M Baxi Ports and Logistics and M Dinshaw and Co for a 15-year term, marking the largest O&M-based asset monetisation drive by any state-owned port in India.
J M Baxi Ports and Logistics, 50% owned by global shipping major Hapag-Lloyd AG, emerged as the highest bidder for a cluster of 10 berths, quoting a royalty of Rs 153.44 per tonne. The company will take over key berths, including BPX, BPS, ID HWB berths and Indira Dock basin berths 1, 2 and 3.
M Dinshaw and Co secured operating rights for a separate cluster of 12 berths at a higher royalty bid of Rs 217 per tonne, covering Jetty End and berths 10 through 16. The initiative is being driven by Mumbai Port Authority Chairman M Angamuthu, who has replicated the O&M model successfully implemented at Visakhapatnam Port Authority since September 2025. The move addresses longstanding challenges in monetising port assets through the traditional public-private partnership model while also tackling operational constraints, including an ageing workforce and declining productivity.
Mumbai Port is simultaneously repositioning its cargo focus toward cleaner and higher-value freight such as automobiles, construction materials, and project cargo. The privatisation of Indira Dock berths is expected to reverse recent cargo volume declines and attract greater private sector participation in the port’s long-term transformation.
Source: Economic Times
