Port Pipavav is a private sector seaport located on the south-west coast of the Saurashtra peninsula in the Amreli district of Gujarat, India. Situated near the village of Pipavav, it is one of India's first private port projects and serves as a major gateway for container, bulk, liquid and roll-on/roll-off cargo on the country's western coast.
| Key facts | |
|---|---|
| Type | Private sector seaport |
| Location | Pipavav, Rajula taluka, Amreli district, Gujarat |
| Coast | Arabian Sea, Gulf of Khambhat region |
| Operator | Gujarat Pipavav Port Limited (GPPL) |
| Parent | APM Terminals (A.P. Moller–Maersk group) |
| Listing | BSE and NSE (Gujarat Pipavav Port Ltd.) |
| Cargo handled | Containers, dry bulk, liquid, RoRo |
The port is operated by Gujarat Pipavav Port Limited (GPPL), a publicly listed company in which APM Terminals, the ports and terminals arm of the Danish shipping major A.P. Moller–Maersk, holds a controlling stake. Pipavav lies in proximity to the major industrial belts of Gujarat and is connected to the national hinterland through road and rail links, including a broad-gauge rail line that connects the port to the Indian Railways network.
The port was developed under a public–private partnership framework, with the Gujarat Maritime Board acting as the state nodal authority. It was conceived as part of Gujarat's strategy to develop a network of intermediate and minor ports along its long coastline to relieve pressure on Mumbai's Jawaharlal Nehru Port and to serve cargo originating from northern and western India.
Port Pipavav handles a diverse traffic mix:
The port has a rail-linked container yard and inland connectivity supported by the dedicated rail line, which enables the movement of double-stack container trains to inland container depots in northern India.
Port Pipavav is significant as one of the earliest examples of private sector participation in Indian port development. Its location offers a relatively short maritime distance to the Middle East, Africa and Europe via the Suez route, and it functions as a complementary facility to nearby ports such as Mundra and Kandla. The port plays a notable role in the export of automobiles, agricultural commodities and containerised manufactured goods from the Gujarat industrial corridor.
Gujarat Pipavav Port Limited became one of the first Indian port companies to be listed on the stock exchanges through an initial public offering. APM Terminals manages the port's operations as part of its global portfolio of container terminals.