Rail Vikas Nigam, Hyundai Engineering and Construction Co, Meka Infrastructure, and Vishwa Samudra Engineering have also expressed interest in the project, which is estimated to cost Rs 206.47 billion. The deadline for submissions ended on 30 August.

This marks the first time in India that dredging, offshore reclamation, and shore protection for a new port will be attempted under the PPP-HAM model. On 30 August, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the port, which will become the 13th owned by the Union government once completed.

Vadhavan Port is planned to handle 298 million tonnes of cargo, including 23.2 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs).

In early August, the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority (JNPA), which is overseeing the Rs 762.20 billion Vadhavan Port project, called for expressions of interest for the dredging, offshore reclamation, and shore protection works using the PPP-HAM model.

Officials clarified that the EoI is not a tender, but rather a preliminary step. Based on the feedback and suggestions from the interested entities, JNPA will refine the terms of the PPP-HAM contract and seek approval from the Public-Private-Partnership Appraisal Committee (PPPAC) before officially inviting bids for this key infrastructure work.

The large number of high-profile companies expressing interest is seen as an endorsement of the PPP-HAM model for executing the dredging and reclamation works, despite initial concerns over the payment structure, which will be spread over a 15-year concession period. This confidence is partly attributed to JNPA?s solid financial standing, as it operates India?s second busiest container gateway.