Kamarajar Port targets Rs 2,600 crore infra investment

CHENNAI: Kamarajar Port is looking at investment of Rs 2,600 crore, wherein 14 MoUs will be signed during the three-day Virtual Maritime India Summit that begins on March 2. Kamarajar Port Chairman Sunil Paliwal told Express they are tying up with major stakeholders for infrastructure development.

Paliwal said that the port has also entered into an agreement with Daimler India Commercial Vehicles Pvt. Ltd. (DICV), a wholly-owned  Daimler subsidiary, which has manufacturing facility in Oragadam. “The agreement is to export Diamler vehicles for next 10 years,” says Paliwal.

Kamrajar Port had executed the agreement with major car manufactures which include Nissan Motor India, Ford India and Toyota Kirloskar Motor India with volume-based rebates.  He added there is an an agreement with German wind turbine maker Nordex. Paliwal said this comes after State signed MoUs worth Rs 1,200 crore. Nordex intends to build wind turbines and rotor blades near Chennai.

“Basically, around 40 ships per year will be catered to by the port. This would be increased to 200 ships per year,” said Paliwal. The port will also be working on containerised movement of chemicals, he said.
Paliwal is coordinating Sessions on the topics “Ease of Doing Business,  Coastal Shipping, Hinterland Connectivity and Multi-Modal Logistics” and “Bulk Cargo Transportation - Focus on Liquid Cargo” on day two of the summit.

The other person coordinating the session on bulk cargo transportation include joint secretary of Petroleum Ministry Sunil Kumar and Kochi Port Chairman Dr M Beena. The government has given renewed impetus to maritime sector by announcing many new policy initiatives and by redefining the functional framework of the Major Ports. Some of the important initiatives include passage of Major Port Authorities Act, 2021, relaxation in Cabotage Rules, SAROD Ports initiatives for dispute resolution, encouraging inland waterways transportation and its integration with EXIM Trade and development of  new major port at Vadavan.