September proved to be a highlight month for India's maritime and shipbuilding sector, with 27 MoUs worth over Rs 66,000 crore signed. Among them stood a mammoth investment in Odisha—the single largest one—The Bahuda Port Development Project.
Odisha currently handles around 13 per cent of the total cargo in India. The Bahuda project adds to the state's aspirations to become the foremost maritime location of India, which already boasts a 575km-long coastline.
What is the Bahuda Port MoU?
The Bahuda Port project memorandum of understanding (MoU) was a landmark agreement signed between four key partners to develop a massive new deep-sea port in Odisha's Ganjam district.
It was the headliner deal among the ones signed on September 18 at the 'Samudra Se Samriddhi – Transforming India's Maritime Sector' event in Bhavnagar, Gujarat.
"With ports, shipbuilding and sustainable projects advancing at this pace, we are steering India closer to the goal of Viksit Bharat by 2047,” Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW) Sarbananda Sonowal then said.
The four partners of Bahuda
According to the official MoPSW announcement, the landmark MoU brought together four major organisations: Paradip Port Authority (PPA), Visakhapatnam Port Authority (VPA), Sagarmala Finance Corporation Limited (SFCL), and the Government of Odisha.
"With a capacity of 150 million tonnes per annum proposed to be developed on more than 6,700 acres of coastal salt land that have been designated for maritime use, this project is expected to attract an investment of around Rs 21,500 crore," the Ministry stated.
The Bahuda port, once developed, would serve as a greenfield deep-sea port functioning as a satellite to Paradip Port.
It will act as an anchor for port-led industrialisation, logistics parks, and manufacturing clusters across Odisha and northern Andhra Pradesh. The Port is expected to provide direct and indirect employment opportunities to nearly 25,000 people while catalysing new waves of industrial and infrastructure development in eastern India.
Economic impact and employment
The Bahuda port project is designed to be an economic catalyst for eastern India, adding nearly 25,000 direct and indirect jobs. Moreover, development is expected to have a ripple effect, adding industrial and infrastructure development across Odisha and northern Andhra Pradesh.
"Bahuda Port will catalyse port-led industrialisation, create thousands of jobs, and strengthen Odisha’s position in India’s global maritime network," Odisha CM Mohan Charan Majhi had then posted on X.
On behalf of the people of Odisha, I extend my heartfelt gratitude to Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi Ji for his visionary leadership and to the Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways Shri @sarbanandsonwal Ji for enabling the historic Bahuda Port project.… pic.twitter.com/X4SctZyKuy
— Mohan Charan Majhi (@MohanMOdisha) September 29, 2025
This project aligns perfectly with India's broader maritime strategy—Maritime India Vision 2030, Viksit Bharat 2047, and Atmanirbhar Bharat.
Reports state that the project, expected to operate as a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV), would have clearly defined ownership.
Paradip Port Authority would be the lead partner with a 51 per cent stake, while the Odisha Maritime Board (State Govt) would have a 26 per cent stake. Visakhapatnam Port Authority would own 14 per cent, while the
Sagarmala Finance Corp would have a 9 per cent stake in Bahuda.
Once completed and when fully operational, Bahuda would become India's 14th major port.
