Bharat Global Ports to test waters at home first

Govt may give consortium domestic exposure

- DHRUVAKSH SAHA

The government is looking to give Bharat Global Ports a certain amount of domestic exposure after it set up the state-owned consortium to increase India's global maritime heft, officials aware of the development said.

The intended domestic exposure is meant to give the consortium experience and build its credentials for international projects.

"India Ports Global (IPGL), the operations and maintenance (O&M) arm of Bharat Global Ports, only has experience running the Chabahar Port, which is of strategic interest. To gather credentials of competence and give the manpower hands-on commercial experience, the company needs to run fully-commercial terminals," a senior government official told Business Standard.

The Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW), which set up Bharat Global Ports, is in discussions to make the port consortium a player for domestic jetties and terminals.