Kamarajar Port’s ₹1,200 crore IPO plan | The Port Report #31

Welcome to episode 31 of The Port Report from THE WEEK, with the latest updates from the world of ports for the week of September 12-18.

​The Paradip Port saw two new commodities make an impact on overall throughput this fiscal. Muriate of Potash cargo throughput crossed 50,000 metric tonnes, while steel beam cargo handling rose to about 17,000 MT.

Dolomite cargo handling has surged to 3.87 lakh MT over April-August this fiscal, reflecting a 40 per cent year-on-year boost.

In August alone, Ferro-Chrome cargo handling crossed 43,000 MT—44 per cent more than the same period last fiscal.

Next, the Kamarajar Port is gearing up to list on the stock exchanges with an initial public offering of around ₹1,200 crore.

Through an offer for sale, the Chennai Port Authority looks to dilute a portion of its wholly owned stake and raise capital, which would make Kamarajar the first state-backed Indian port to list on the stock exchanges.

ALSO READ | Riding the tide: Why Kamarajar Port’s historic IPO could be a game changer for India’s maritime ambitions

​Moving on, the Chennai Port handled a record 14,778 MT of pig iron for export in a single day, surpassing its previous record of 13,208 MT.

Next, the V.O. Chidambaranar Port crossed the 2-crore-metric-tonne mark by handling 2,01,64,687 MT in April-September in FY 2026-27. This reflects a year-on-year growth of 5.27 per cent.

The port also berthed the CMA CGM Thorium on September 14. Measuring 335.23m in length, it is now the longest container ship to ever berth at the port, breaking a record set by the 304m-long MSC Michaela in December 2025.

This comes after series of marine infrastructure and navigational developments at the Tuticorin-based port, including the increase of permissible draft to 14.2m, the widening of the turning circle from 488m to 550m, and the induction of two additional tugs.

​Finally, the foundation stone ceremony for the Kerala government's ₹25 crore container freight station at the Vizhinjam Port took place on September 16.

The new CFS is a part of the state government's 100-day action plan, and will be built by the Kerala State Industrial Enterprises Limited on about five acres of land at the Travancore Spinning Mills compound in Balaramapuram, with the remaining land retained for the mill's operations.

It will be built in four phases, after which commercial operations will begin in February 2027.

​That's all from Port Report with THE WEEK, and we'll see you next week. For more updates from the maritime sector, visit the special microsite at theweek.in.