Comments
Japanese companies have shown interest in setting up a power project and an LNG terminal in the special economic zone close to the Dighi Port in Maharashtra, an official told Business Line .
The new private port, around 50 nautical miles away from the Jawaharlal Nehru Port, is expected to start operations next month.
Developed jointly by the Mumbai-based Balaji Infra Projects Ltd and Infrastructure Leasing and Finance Services, Dighi Port will be equipped to handle all types of cargoes.
A Japanese delegation led by Mr Takaya Imai, Director General, Ministry of Economy, Trade and industry, visited Dighi Port on Thursday, to have an on-the-spot study of the infrastructure facilities available at Dighi.
Dighi Port is the last point for the Delhi- Mumbai Industrial Corridor, which is being developed with Japanese financial assistance. The port has a land bank of around 1,200 acres.
Japan team's visit
An official of a Japanese company, who was part of the delegation which visited the port, said the company is making a preliminary study of the investment opportunities at the SEZ.
Mr Vijay Kalantri, Chairman and Managing Director, Dighi Port Ltd, said the Japanese delegation, which is in India to assess the progress of the industrial corridor, has visited the port, which is located within the DMIC.
He said the visit of the delegation is expected to result in major Japanese investments in the Dighi special economic zone in areas such as power, LNG, automobiles and agri-business.
One berth ready
Mr Saibal K, De, Chief Executive, IL&FS Maritime Company, which holds around 20 per cent stake in Dighi Port, said one of the three berths being developed in the first phase is ready. The port, with a draught of 12.5 metres, hopes to handle cargoes such as coal, steel and automobiles. To begin with, it will handle bulk and break-bulk cargo and subsequently move into liquid cargo.
Dr. Kshatrapati Shivaji, CEO, Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation, who accompanied the Japanese delegation , said, he expects large-scale investments by Japanalong the DMIC stretch in Maharashtra.
Companies such as Posco and JP Associates have already announced their investment plans at the Dighi Port.
Comments
COMMENT NOW
Comments
Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.
We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of TheHindu Businessline and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.