A new major port with a capacity of 150 million tonne (MT) will be developed at Bahuda in Ganjam district of Odisha at an investment of Rs 21,500 crore.

The initiative is a joint effort by Paradip Port Authority, Visakhapatnam Port Authority, Sagarmala Finance Corporation (SFCL), and the Odisha government. A memorandum of understanding (MoU) will be signed on September 20 in Bhavnagar, Gujarat, in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Once completed, Bahuda will be India’s 14th major port under Union government ownership. 

Odisha already hosts Paradip, a Union-run major port, and two private ports operated by Adani Ports at Dhamra and Gopalpur. Additionally, Tata Steel and Navayuga Engineering are developing ports at Subarnarekha Mouth and Astaranga, respectively.

The Odisha government’s feasibility study shows Bahuda port can handle vessels ranging from 40,000 to 1,50,000 deadweight tonne (DWT) and container ships of 6,000 TEUs. SFCL, an RBI-registered NBFC dedicated to maritime financing, will help fund the project.