Adani Ports operated India’s first ‘Port of Refuge’

To strengthen India’s maritime safety, Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone Limited (APSEZ) has operationalized India’s first ‘Port of Refuge’ (PoR) at Dighi Port (near Mumbai) and Gopalpur Port (in Odisha).

This initiative creates a structured system to handle ships in distress and fills a long-standing gap in the country’s maritime infrastructure.

India has a coastline of 11,098.81 km and falls among the countries with some of the busiest shipping routes in the world. Until now, India did not have a structured mechanism to assist ships during emergencies.

A Port of Refuge (PoR) is a designated safe place for ships facing emergencies such as fire, collision, or mechanical failure, allowing them to seek shelter.

Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone Limited (APSEZ) handles about 27% of India’s port cargo volume.

About Dighi Port and Gopalpur Port

APSEZ has selected two strategic ports as India’s first Ports of Refuge:

Dighi Port (West Coast): Located near Mumbai on the western coast, it will assist ships operating in the Arabian Sea and routes connected to the Persian Gulf.

Gopalpur Port (East Coast): Located in Odisha on the eastern coast, it will serve ships in the Bay of Bengal and routes heading toward the Strait of Malacca (one of the world’s busiest maritime trade corridors).

This initiative is supported by a tripartite Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with SMIT Salvage (the salvage and emergency response division of Royal Boskalis Westminster N.V. - Boskalis) and the Maritime Emergency Response Centre (MERC).

This capability will assist ships insured under the International Group of Protection and Indemnity (P&I) Clubs, aligning with global maritime risk and liability frameworks.

Adani Ports - India’s largest private port operator

It is India’s largest private port operator and part of the Adani Group.

Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone Limited (APSEZ) operates more than 13 ports and terminals across India and handles about 24–25% of the country’s port cargo. Its main port is Mundra Port in Gujarat (India’s largest commercial port).

Major Indian ports operated by Adani Ports

Gujarat: Mundra Port (main), Dahej Port, Hazira Port, Tuna Terminal

Andhra Pradesh: Krishnapatnam Port, Gangavaram Port

Odisha: Dhamra Port, Gopalpur Port

Goa: Mormugao Port

Kerala: Vizhinjam Port

Tamil Nadu: Karaikal Port, Ennore Port

Maharashtra: Dighi Port

Major international ports operated by Adani Ports

Haifa, Israel: Haifa Port Company

Tanzania: Dar es Salaam

Sri Lanka: Colombo West Terminal

Australia: North Queensland Export Terminal