Maharashtra's New Gateway: The Vadhavan Port Airport

A pre-feasibility study has been initiated for a proposed greenfield airport near the upcoming Vadhavan Port in Palghar district, Maharashtra. The study is being led by a joint venture between Grant Thornton and Nippon Koei India and is expected to take six to nine months.

Commissioned by the Maharashtra Airport Development Company (MADC), the study will evaluate site conditions, traffic projections, environmental considerations, and overall project viability. It will also assess connectivity with key infrastructure such as the Dedicated Freight Corridor and planned road links to the port.

The airport is envisioned as a strategic complement to the Vadhavan deep-draft, all-weather port, which is part of the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC). Once operational, the port is projected to add approximately 23.2 million TEUs to India's container handling capacity.

Conceived as part of a larger multimodal logistics ecosystem, the project aims to integrate air, road, and rail transport, easing pressure on existing infrastructure and enhancing connectivity to industrial zones like Bhiwandi and warehousing clusters across the Mumbai Metropolitan Region.

Findings from the study will inform the government’s decision on moving forward with a detailed project report and securing necessary approvals.

News by Rahul Yelligetti.