Govt Receives Nine EOIs For International Transhipment Port Project In Great Nicobar Island

New Delhi
The ports ministry has received expressions of interest (EOIs) from nine players for the Rs 41,000 crore international transhipment port project at Great Nicobar Island in the Bay of Bengal, a senior government official said on Friday. Earlier this year, the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways in a statement said the project is expected to be completed with an investment of Rs 41,000 crore (USD 5 billion), including investment from both government and public-private partnership (PPP) concessionaires.
Nine players have submitted expressions of interest for the international transhipment port project at Great Nicobar Island, a senior government official told on the condition of anonymity.
Public-private partnership (PPP) will be encouraged for this project via landlord mode. The PPP concessionaire will have the flexibility to develop a storage area, container handling equipment and other infrastructure based on the concessionaire's own market and business assessment, subject to the minimum guaranteed traffic.
The concessionaire would be awarded a long-term PPP concession of 30 to 50 years (based on requirement), will be responsible for the provision(s) of port services and shall have the rights to levy, collect and retain charges from port users. Currently, nearly 75 per cent of India's transhipped cargo is handled at ports outside India. Colombo, Singapore and Klang handle more than 85 per cent of this cargo, with more than half of it handled at Colombo port.