J M Baxi, M Dinshaw to Operate Cargo Berths at Mumbai Port’s Indira Dock on O&M Basis.

J M Baxi Ports and Logistics Pvt Ltd and M Dinshaw & Co Pvt Ltd are set to separately secure rights to operate cargo berths at the Indira Dock of Mumbai Port Authority for 15 years, marking the largest asset monetisation deal finalised by a state-owned port under an Operation and Maintenance (O&M) model.

J M Baxi Ports and Logistics, one of India’s leading private port operators, emerged as the highest bidder for a cluster of 10 berths, quoting a royalty of ₹153.44 per tonne. The company is 50 per cent owned by Hapag-Lloyd AG, the world’s fifth-largest container shipping line. Meanwhile, M Dinshaw & Co Pvt Ltd quoted ₹217 per tonne to secure rights for a separate cluster of 12 berths, according to sources.

The 10-berth cluster includes BPX, BPS, ID HWB berths 18 to 21 and 23, along with Berth Nos. 1, 2 and 3 of the Indira Dock basin. The second cluster of 12 berths comprises Jetty End and berths numbered 10, 11, 12, 12A, 12B, 13A, 13B, 14, 15 and 16.

The initiative is being driven by M Angamuthu, Chairman of the Mumbai Port Authority, who is replicating the O&M model he implemented earlier at the Visakhapatnam Port Authority. Angamuthu, who took charge at Mumbai Port in September 2025, continues to hold additional charge of the Visakhapatnam Port Authority.

The move signals a shift in strategy for Mumbai Port Authority, which has struggled to privatise cargo terminals through the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model. Its only such project, awarded in 2007 for an offshore container terminal, ended unsuccessfully. Officials say the O&M approach will help improve asset utilisation and bring in operational efficiency through private participation.

According to Angamuthu, the port will increasingly focus on handling cleaner cargo such as automobiles, construction materials, and project cargo. The privatisation of berths at Indira Dock is also aimed at reversing the decline in cargo volumes handled over the past three years at the port’s largest dock.

The decision to adopt the O&M model is also driven by operational challenges, including a sharp decline in the port’s labour strength and reduced productivity due to an ageing workforce. Currently, vessels rely heavily on Custom House Agents for labour deployment. To address these constraints, the port authority has opted to outsource stevedoring, loading, unloading, and transportation activities.

The tender, floated in January, allowed bidders to quote for one or both clusters, with contracts awarded based on the highest royalty bids. J M Baxi Ports and Logistics and M Dinshaw & Co ultimately emerged as the top bidders for their respective clusters.