Rare equity bet by global dredger signals confidence in India’s maritime growth.

Dutch Dredging Major Boskalis Takes Minority Stake in Upcoming Bhavnagar Port.

Dutch dredging giant Royal Boskalis BV has acquired a minority stake in the upcoming multipurpose Bhavnagar Port, marking a rare instance of a dredging contractor taking equity in an Indian port operating company. The port is being developed through Bhavnagar Port Infrastructure Pvt Ltd, a special purpose vehicle majority owned by London-based Foresight Group, with the Padmanabh Mafatlal Group as another shareholder. Foresight Founder and Executive Chairman Ravi Mehrotra said the port is expected to be completed within three years of signing the port user’s agreement and is targeted to become operational by 2029. Boskalis’ investment underscores its confidence in India’s maritime sector, where it has executed major dredging works, including at Jawaharlal Nehru Port. The port will handle containers, bulk, liquids, chemicals and RORO cargo. It has also signed an MoU with Container Corporation of India Ltd to operate a container terminal, supporting logistics across Central Gujarat and the Dholera industrial belt.