In a major effort to streamline maritime logistics and improve supply chain flow, Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone Limited (APSEZ) has unveiled plans to establish a dedicated Empty Container Yard (ECY) inside the Mundra Port and SEZ precinct in Gujarat. The purpose-built facility is designed to optimize the handling, inspection, and maintenance of unladen shipping containers. By creating a centralized zone for these operations, the infrastructure initiative is expected to directly benefit exporters, importers, shipping lines, and freight forwarders through reduced delays and lower operational costs.
Mundra Port's Market Scale and Empty Container Handling
APSEZ maintains a dominant footprint in India's maritime freight landscape. Industry data for fiscal year 2025-26 indicates that the company holds approximately a 45.5% share of the nation's total container market. Mundra Port alone accounts for nearly 35% of all containerized trade moving in and out of India, cementing its status as the country's primary container transshipment and gateway hub.
Operational estimates show that Mundra Port handles around 16 lakh TEUs (Twenty-foot Equivalent Units) of empty containers annually. Managing such a vast volume of empty equipment requires specialized infrastructure to prevent congestion. The setup of this dedicated ECY will structure this extensive network, ensuring faster processing and better spatial management across the port complex.
All-in-One Service Hub for Shipping Containers
The upcoming Empty Container Yard will offer a consolidated range of technical and logistics services in a single location. These include structured equipment storage, comprehensive maintenance, repair facilities, and detailed technical inspections. Furthermore, the facility will streamline the repositioning and dispatch of empty boxes to exporters and inland Container Freight Stations (CFS).
Previously, empty containers often required multiple transfers between disparate yards and terminals, driving up transit times and fuel expenses. By integrating these functions into a unified hub, the project significantly reduces redundant vehicular movements, delivering cost savings and quicker equipment turnaround for trade participants.
Strengthening Supply Chain Coordination and Turnaround Times
Detailing the operational advantages of the project, Ashwani Gupta, CEO and Whole-time Director of APSEZ, emphasized that the dedicated yard will elevate working standards across the entire container ecosystem. He noted that minimizing unnecessary container movements will accelerate turnaround schedules, providing concrete efficiency gains across the supply chain.
Concentrating empty container services within the Mundra Port SEZ framework will also enhance operational synergy among key stakeholders. Customs officials, shipping lines, port terminal operators, and haulage contractors will be able to coordinate faster, eliminating regulatory bottlenecks and physical delays that typically affect cargo movement.
Alignment with the Ambition 2031 Roadmap
The launching of the dedicated container yard forms a key milestone within APSEZ's broader strategic vision, known as the Ambition 2031 roadmap. Under this medium-term expansion masterplan, the company aims to augment its total container handling capacity by more than 60 lakh TEUs across its port network over the next five years. Mundra Port is projected to serve as the core anchor of this expansion strategy, supporting India's growing export-import demands on the global stage.
