Chennai Port to invest ₹8,000cr in outer harbor project
Chennai Port Authority is bringing back its massive outer harbor project, with an investment of ₹8,000 crore.
The first phase is set for 2031 and aims to make the port future-ready by handling some of the world's largest ships.
They'll pick a developer by late 2026, using a modern "design-build-finance-operate-transfer" approach.
Why the sudden interest? It's all about trade and logistics
This isn't just about bigger ships—it's about Chennai keeping up with booming trade.
The plan includes a 2km quay, deep-water docks, and reclaiming land from the sea to fit ultra-large container vessels (think over 20,000 containers at once).
After years on hold due to slow investor interest and economic shifts, it's back now thanks to Tamil Nadu's industrial growth and new infrastructure like the Chennai Port-Maduravoyal Elevated Corridor.
More capacity is expected to mean smoother logistics, lower costs for businesses, and a stronger position for India in global shipping.