Karaikal Port - Overview

Overview

Located on the East Coast of India, Karaikal Port is the new gateway to the state of Tamil Nadu in Southern India. Its combination of strategic location, state-of-the-art equipment and world-class infrastructure makes it the port of choice for industries and businesses located in and around Central Tamil Nadu and beyond. MARG Karaikal Port is located near the town of Karaikal in the Union Territory of Pondicherry and was commissioned in April 2009. Since then the Port has handled a whole range of different cargoes for top industrial houses of the country.

Known for its speed of clearance, efficiencies of scale and a diverse cargo mix, a notable achievement has been the port's outstanding record in discharge rate and turnaround timelines.

Capacity to handle large vessels and diverse cargo, single window clearance, E2E logistics, state-of-the-art equipment, competitive tariffs and an ideal location are hallmarks of the MARG Karaikal Port.

Karaikal Port is equipped with the latest infrastructure that is being augmented in a phased manner. Navigation facilities are provided by a fully operational marine control centre to monitor vessel movement. Also, a host of allied infrastructure facilities such as the administration building, site roads, covered and open storage etc. are operational. Currently, 3 mobile harbor cranes with 35 cbm grabs are efficiently handling all types of bulk and break bulk cargo.

Karaikal Port project began with a Letter of Interest issued by Govt. of Pondicherry for development of a port at Karaikal in September 2005. MARG Ltd. signed the concession agreement in 2006 and work began in February, 2007. Phase 1 was envisaged to be operational in Aug 2009. Karaikal Port became operational in April 2009 when it received its first vessel. Phase 1 comprises 2 Panamax size berths capable of handling 5.2 million MT of cargo per annum. The port has received over 250 vessels since Commercial Operations and has handled over 5 million MT of various cargo.

KPPL has partners in Ocean Sparkle (marine operations) and PSTS (Stevedoring). Cargo evacuation is assisted by MARG Logistics, a sister concern of KPPL.