The bidders include DP World Ltd, which has applied through its Indian arm Hindustan Ports Pvt Ltd; NMDC Dredging & Marine, understood to be supported by Dutch dredging major Royal Boskalis B.V.; Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone Ltd (APSEZ), which has partnered with Van Oord, Jan De Nul and ISDPL (DEME Group); and Hyderabad-based Vishwa Samudra Holdings Pvt Ltd. The tender closed on September 23.   The contract covers dredging, reclamation and construction of an offshore protection bund over 1,207 hectares of reclaimed land, to be developed in two phases. The project is the largest of the three major components of the Vadhvan Port development.   The ₹76,220-crore Vadhvan Port is being implemented by Vadhvan Port Project Ltd (VPPL), a joint venture between the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority (JNPA), which holds a 74% stake, and the Maharashtra Maritime Board (MMB), with the remaining 26%. The proposed port is designed to handle 298 million tonnes of cargo annually, including 23.2 million TEUs.   The Vadhvan project comprises three key construction packages. The first is the near-shore reclamation and associated infrastructure, required to provide a landing facility for offshore port development. The ₹1,648-crore package was awarded in December 2024 to Cemindia Projects Ltd, formerly ITD Cementation India Ltd.   The second component is the 10.14-km-long breakwater, described as the longest breakwater planned for an Indian port. The ₹5,301.25-crore contract has been awarded to Afcons Infrastructure Ltd.   The third and largest component is the ₹22,323.47-crore HAM package covering dredging, offshore reclamation and construction of the protective bund.   Under the approved HAM structure, 45% of the project cost will be paid by VPPL, while the remaining 55% will be financed by the private PPP operator through a variable annuity mechanism.   The concession period is 15 years, comprising five years of construction—in two phases of three and two years—and 10 years of operation and maintenance. The 45% public contribution will be released in five equal instalments during construction, while the balance will be paid through variable annuity payments, including interest on residual debt, based on the value of assets created.   The estimated O&M cost for the shore protection bund over 10 years is ₹171.79 crore. The contract will be awarded to the bidder quoting the lowest cost.    The HAM package represents the first PPP-HAM implementation in India involving dredging, offshore reclamation and shore protection works for a new port, making the Vadhvan project significant for the country’s port infrastructure sector.   Once completed, Vadhvan Port is planned to have nine container terminals with a combined quay length of 9,000 metres, supported by more than 100 quay-side gantry cranes capable of handling vessels of 350 metres or more in length.    The port will also include liquid cargo berths, a Ro-Ro facility, general, coastal and breakbulk cargo berths, a common rail yard, tank farms and storage facilities. The container terminals are expected to be developed separately on a PPP basis after completion of the core port infrastructure.   The Vadhvan Port is targeted for commissioning by 2030 and is positioned as a major addition to India’s western maritime gateway infrastructure.