PPP investment avenue yet to be tapped in port connectivity, services: Chief, SMP Port.

Huge opportunities are available for investment in Public Private Partnership mode in port connectivity and services, according to Vinit Kumar, Chairman, Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port.

Addressing the Maritime India Vision 2030 conference, he said the landlord model is the model for the future where the ports will be more of a regulator and the services will be provided by the private sector under the PPP mode. A majority of the PPPs are coming on the berth and terminal side, and there is a lot of opportunity in the connectivity and services sector.

Over Rs. 20,000 crores have been invested in the port sector under the PPP model, which accounts for around 30 per cent of the total capacity. “There is a pipeline of around Rs. 28,000 crore in the next seven-to-eight years and this is a big boost for the shipping and port sector,” he said at the event organised in association with FICCI.

“We need to look at multi-modal transport, including rail terminals. We also need to have more avenues in the shipping services sector where PPP should be introduced,” he said.

Some of the topics of deliberation at the two-day maritime conclave include opportunities of PPP in coastal shipping, hinterland connectivity, alternative dispute resolution mechanisms, opportunities and challenges in maritime financing and insurance, among others.

Speaking on the expansion plans, Kumar said that there was a proposal to extend the gate facility at Balagarh at an estimated investment of around Rs. 400 crore, and it intends to develop a jetty for transportation of containers and other materials to decongest the port.

The port also plans to set up a floating crane facility for the transhipment of containers at an estimated cost of around Rs. 75 crore with a concession of 15 years in Diamond Harbour and Sagar.

This apart, there are three projects which are on-going with an investment of Rs. 750 crore, and in the next three-to-four years there is a pipeline of Rs. 2,500 crore coming up as an investment in SMP Kolkata.

“We are also working to develop a tunnel under the river Hooghly for better evacuation, and we can invite private investors for this as well,” he said.

HBL