CONCOR Secures Contract to Run Container Terminal at Upcoming Bhavnagar Port.

Container Corporation of India Ltd (CONCOR), a leading state-run rail hauler, is set to operate and maintain a container terminal at the under-construction Bhavnagar Port in Gujarat. This move signifies CONCOR's shift from a "junior partner" to a "senior partner" role in a major port facility.

CONCOR signed a memorandum of understanding with Bhavnagar Port Infrastructure Pvt Ltd (BPIPL) on Thursday to run the terminal on the port's north side. The Bhavnagar Port is slated to begin operations by 2028. Before finalizing the terminal's capacity and investment, CONCOR will conduct due diligence to assess its traffic potential.

This project is a strategic opportunity for CONCOR, which currently holds minority stakes in other operational terminals, including a 26% share in Gateway Terminals India Pvt Ltd at Jawaharlal Nehru Port and a 15% share in India Gateway Terminal Pvt Ltd (IGTPL) at Cochin Port.

According to a CONCOR official, the company is actively trying to expand its business potential beyond its traditional focus. The company is now looking to enter the container shipping sector in a significant way. CONCOR has hired KPMG Advisory Services Pvt Ltd to conduct an in-depth study and prepare a roadmap for its entry into the global container shipping market. An interim report has been submitted, and discussions are underway with the Ministry of Railways. The plan to form a joint venture with the state-owned Shipping Corporation of India Ltd (SCI) to enter container shipping remains in place.

In a preliminary step into the shipping business, CONCOR recently began sending its own cargo containers to the Middle East through a partnership with a Dubai-based firm and plans to expand to Southeast Asia soon. The new Bhavnagar terminal is expected to serve the logistics needs of Central Gujarat, the Dholera industrial belt, and even customers in the Delhi-National Capital Region.

The Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways has previously announced its intention to launch a national container shipping carrier, "Bharat Container Line," to reduce India's reliance on foreign-flagged vessels. Currently, foreign shipping lines handle approximately 99% of India's export-import container trade by volume.