If there is a tested maxim about crown of thorns accompanying every success tale, the 'Path to Profitability' cannot come easy either.
The Tajpur port has the potential to be a transformative catalyst for eastern India’s trade by enabling direct berthing of large vessels, reducing reliance on transshipment hubs, and lowering logistics costs, while also decongesting Kolkata and Haldia ports to improve turnaround time and reliability.
The fact of the matter is the BJP’s ascent to power in West Bengal has revived industry expectations around the long-delayed Rs 25,000 crore Tajpur deep sea port project, with stakeholders hopeful that improved coordination between the state and the Centre will accelerate progress on the proposed infrastructure venture.
The optimism comes even as the latest global tender floated in December 2025 by the West Bengal Industrial Development Corporation (WBIDC) now stands cancelled, after failing to attract adequate participation.
The BJP in general presents an industry-friendly image focused on creating a "business-friendly, transparent, and growth-oriented ecosystem" to achieve a Viksit Bharat (Developed India) by 2047.
This image is built on initiatives that emphasize ease of doing business, infrastructure development, and engagement with stakeholders to foster a competitive and high-growth economy.
With the Centre-state alignment in Bengal, a number of projects are well positioned to gain momentum.
But the potential will hinge a lot on robust last-mile connectivity and seamless multimodal integration.
The BJP, in its 2026 West Bengal assembly election manifesto, promised development of both the Tajpur deep sea port and the proposed Kulpi port, pitching the projects as key to boosting industrialisation, logistics and employment in the state.
The Tajpur port project in East Midnapore district was first conceived over a decade ago to reduce pressure on the riverine Kolkata dock system, and improve maritime infrastructure in eastern India.
Initially, the project was explored in partnership with the Kolkata Port Trust, now the Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port, Kolkata. Later, the state government decided to develop the port through the public-private partnership (PPP) route.
In 2021, the West Bengal government invited bids for the greenfield port project on a Design, Build, Finance, Operate and Transfer (DBFOT) basis. Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone (APSEZ) emerged as the top bidder, defeating the Sajjan Jindal-owned JSW Group company, JSW Infrastructure, in the tender.
Reference points :
Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone Limited (APSEZ) is a multinational port operator and logistics company, part of the Adani Group.
APSEZ is India's largest private port operator with a network of 12 ports and terminals, including India's first port-based SEZ at Mundra and the first deep water transshipment port at Thiruvananthapuram.
******
As of May 2026, Odisha and West Bengal (now both under BJP)
are emerging as key industrial growth centers in Eastern India, driven by port-led development, infrastructure projects, and investment summits.
Odisha is rapidly becoming a premier industrial hub through a “two-coast” strategy.
Under BJP, the state of West Bengal can capitalize on its traditional manufacturing base and modernizing with new technology.
ends
No comments:
Post a Comment