‘We don’t mind spending more on NMPT’

This is the first time we have got into the container business... we are excited about it and would like to build on it further. NMPT is currently handling 160,000 TEUs. Connectivity was a challenge for this port and the equipment was quite dated. We have brought in modern equipment and cranes. Projects are on in full swing to improve connectivity. The port should be in the top 6-7 container handling ports in India in the years to come.

Yes, it is possible, because the berths are available and we have to just containerise those berths. 

There are two phases in the development of this terminal. Phase 1, which is done now, [involves] close to ₹150 crore investment; and Phase 2 will kick off after certain milestones are achieved in 12-18 months. The total investment, as per the concession agreement, is close to ₹280 crore, but we would like to do a bit more to bring in more efficiency, so we are expecting a total [investment of] ₹300 crore.

Yes, it will require more investments, space for berths etc. We would assess the situation for 2-3 years, the kind of volume growth we will witness, and, accordingly, we can invest. We are not averse to any investment in this segment. If all goes well and infrastructure at the terminal supports it and we get support from the port authorities, we don’t mind spending another ₹150 crore to add one-and-a-half times the capacity under the concession agreement, which is 400,000 [TEUs]. So, if we expect half-a-million-tonne capacity then we don’t mind spending more capex.

There are ample opportunities coming up in India, especially in the container cargo segment, like JNPT, Tuticorin and something coming up in the east coast. We are assessing all those opportunities. If we bid for those successfully then it will be a new chapter for the company.

Any kind of investment in a container terminal will be purely dependent on the terminus and its location. It depends on the kind of business we get. 

I believe the government is developing Vadhvan (near Dahanu), north of Mumbai. Tuticorin has declared that there will be an outer harbour developed in the future. 

We are pretty much on target. We had kept the 200-million-tonne target for FY24, and I am sure we will be there. Today we are at 150 million tonnes.

Our acquisitions have been a mix. One is the appetite to grow and the other is the security of the supply chain management. 

The audited balance sheet is not yet prepared. The total turnover in FY21 was ₹1,600 crore and we had planned to grow it by 50 per cent. I think we have been largely in line with that.

Yes, we intend to grow at a similar pace. Since the base is higher, we might grow by 30-40 per cent. 

Yes, we do have an intention to go public; the time frame could be one year. We have not decided on the size. We believe we should have a reasonably decent project in hand to justify our attempt at raising funds.