The bid submission deadline for the Hybrid Annuity Mode (HAM) package of Maharashtra’s upcoming Vadhvan Port has been extended by three months, giving prospective bidders more time to prepare proposals for this key offshore development contract.
Vadhvan Port Project Ltd has pushed the due date to May 18 for bids covering development and maintenance of reclaimed land to be created offshore through dredging, reclamation and construction of an offshore protection bund, a package estimated at ₹22,323.47 crore under the PPP-HAM model.
According to project officials, the extension is driven by delays and lengthy statutory procedures in acquiring land for critical rail and road connectivity, without which access to the greenfield port site remains constrained.
The Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways has indicated that there is little merit in awarding the HAM contract before approach infrastructure is in place, as offshore reclamation can only start once at least 50 per cent of the main breakwater is completed.
Officials also noted that prematurely awarding the contract could trigger costs related to equipment mobilisation, potential escalation, and even arbitration, if the concessionaire has no immediate work front available.
The Vadhvan Port development is structured into three major components, including near-shore reclamation with support infrastructure and the large offshore package for dredging, reclamation and the offshore protection bund.
The biggest offshore package is to be executed on HAM, with a payment structure where 45 per cent of the upfront cost is funded by Vadhvan Port Project Ltd and 55 per cent by the PPP concessionaire over a 15-year concession period, including five years for construction (in two phases of three plus two years) and 10 years for operations and maintenance.
The Vadhvan Port project, a joint venture led by Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority and Maharashtra Maritime Board, is envisaged as a major deep-draft gateway on India’s western coast, with operations targeted around 2029–30.
