Auro Group Positions Kakinada Gateway Port as Strategic Hub for India–South Africa Trade

During the discussions, Auro Group management outlined its vision for enhancing bilateral economic engagement through the development of Kakinada Gateway Port Limited (KGPL), a deep-water port project under construction on India’s east coast. The company expressed its interest in facilitating greater trade, logistics, mineral handling, and industrial collaboration between the two countries. The port is being developed to handle a diverse cargo mix, including coal, iron ore and other minerals, liquid chemicals, LNG, LPG, and containers. Designed to accommodate vessels of up to 200,000 DWT with a 20-metre draft, the facility will feature more than 1,650 acres of backup area and approximately six kilometres of seafront. Once completed, KGPL is expected to have a master-plan capacity exceeding 120 million tonnes per annum (MTPA). Supporting the port development is an integrated industrial park spanning 5,600 acres, with infrastructure and environmental clearances already in place. Auro Group said the combined port-industrial ecosystem is expected to contribute to India’s long-term economic growth objectives under the Vision 2047 roadmap.     The company emphasized that the proposed partnership opportunities could boost cargo flows, industrial investments, and supply chain connectivity between South Africa and India’s eastern seaboard, while creating new avenues for long-term economic cooperation.The South African delegation responded positively to the discussions and encouraged further exploration of mutually beneficial opportunities for collaboration between stakeholders from both nations.