Deendayal Port Authority, Kandla, has been awarded the 'Smart Port of the Year' at the Smart Logistics Awards 2026, organised by Maritime Gateway in Rajkot, recognising its efforts toward developing a smarter, more efficient, and future-ready port . DPA Chairman Sushil Kumar Singh congratulated the entire port fraternity, including port users, stakeholders, officers, trade unions, employees, and shramiks, for their collective efforts and commitment towards the port's development .
The recognition comes amid DPA's ongoing efforts to strengthen its cargo-handling infrastructure. On 21 October 2026, the port authority issued a Letter of Award to Essar Ports Limited for developing a multi-purpose cargo terminal at Tuna Tekra, Kandla, at an estimated project cost of ₹2,276.06 crore . The project will be implemented on a Build-Operate-Transfer basis under the Public-Private Partnership mode for a concession period of 30 years, marking a step towards strengthening India's maritime infrastructure .
Essar Ports emerged as the highest bidder through a global competitive bidding process, offering a royalty of ₹61 per tonne payable to DPA . The terminal will be developed on the eastern side of DPA's Mega Container Terminal at Tuna Tekra, which is being developed by DP World under the PPP mode. The project is expected to augment DPA's multipurpose cargo-handling capacity and support the long-term growth of domestic and export-import trade, the port authority said .
The technical specifications of the terminal reflect its scale and strategic purpose. The facility is designed to handle 18.33 million tonnes of cargo annually, comprising an investment of ₹1,552.57 crore by the concessionaire and ₹723.49 crore by DPA . It will comprise four berths, each measuring 300 metres, providing an aggregate berth length of 1,200 metres. The terminal is designed to accommodate Capesize vessels of up to 170,000 deadweight tonnes, with a draft capability of up to 18 metres . Commercial operations are expected to commence by 2031 .
The award ceremony provided an occasion for DPA to formally hand over the Letter of Award to Essar Ports representatives. DPA Chairman Sushil Kumar Singh handed over the document to V Srinivasan, Operating Partner-Infrastructure Vertical, and Ashish Rajgarhia, Chief Executive Officer of Essar Ports, in the presence of senior officials from both organisations . The handover marked the transition from the bidding phase to the implementation phase, and it signalled that the project is moving forward on the timeline outlined in the concession agreement.
For DPA, the Smart Port award and the Tuna Tekra project are complementary developments. The award recognises the port's progress in adopting digital and operational improvements, while the new terminal addresses a capacity constraint that has limited the port's ability to handle growing cargo volumes. The multipurpose terminal is expected to strengthen DPA's cargo-handling capabilities, improve the efficiency of India's trade logistics, and contribute to port-led economic growth in Gujarat and the wider hinterland .
The timing of the recognition is notable because it comes as India's major ports are reporting record cargo volumes and container throughput. JNPA set a monthly container record in September, Cochin Port led major ports in container growth during the first half of FY27, and Adani Ports raised its full-year guidance on strong cargo demand. DPA's award and its terminal project place it within this broader pattern of port expansion and operational improvement, even as the port's core cargo mix remains weighted toward bulk commodities rather than containers.
Looking ahead, the Tuna Tekra terminal's completion by 2031 will determine whether DPA can convert the recognition into measurable capacity gains. The project's 30-year concession and the involvement of Essar Ports, a private operator with port experience, provide a framework for execution, but the timeline is long and the construction and commissioning phases will require sustained coordination between DPA and the concessionaire. For now, the Smart Port award provides external validation of DPA's operational trajectory, and the Letter of Award handover confirms that the terminal project has moved from planning to implementation.