A view of works of the first berth of Kakinada Gateway port at Kona in Kakinada district. Photo: Arrangement
The Gateway port being built in the Kakinada Special Economic Zone (KSEZ) is set to be commissioned by early next year, as the construction of the above 3.3-kilometre-long breakwater facility has been completed at Kona in Kakinada district. The greenfield port will be the third port on the Kakinada coast.
The Kakinada Gateway Port Private Limited (KGPL), a subsidiary of Auro Infra Private Limited, is building the port with an estimated cost of ₹2,620 crore, with three berths with an annual capacity of handling 16 Million Metric Ton Per Annum.
The first phase targets exporting coal, granite, fertilizers, and aluminium. A Liquefied Natural Gas terminal will be built in the second phase, facilitating maritime trade facilities for the companies engaged in oil and natural gas exploration.
A few weeks ago, the construction of the breakwater facility, 2.715 km-long South Breakwater and 589 meters of North Breakwater, was completed.
First berth
“The construction of the first berth is in full swing and will be complete by the year-end, inching close to commissioning the port by early 2027..”, Kakinada Gateway Port Managing Director Ram Reddy Ojili told The Hindu. Spreading over 1,726 acres on the land front, the port has been blessed with a nearly six-kilometre-long coastal belt.
Connectivity
“By early next year, the ongoing works of the four-lane Bharat Mala greenfield highway, which passes through our port, will be completed, coinciding with our timeline to commission the port by then. Simultaneously, the railway authorities consented to the railway track proposed to be laid between Annavaram and the port”, claimed Mr. Ram Reddy.
The KGPL has proposed to lay the 15-km railway track, connecting its port to Samarlakota with an estimated cost of ₹400 crore. “The Kakinada district authorities are engaged in the land acquisition for the railway project”, added Mr. Ram Reddy.
Legacy challenges
On the prospects of investment in the KSEZ, Mr. Ram Reddy has claimed; “All the legacy challenges of land have been resolved recently and talks are on with major investors for various projects”. Recently, the KSEZ authorities have handed over above 2,100 acres of land, that was excluded from the KSEZ, to the farmers.
Published – August 26, 2026 11:04 am IST
