By Rajveer Sekhawat 
Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone Ltd. is already in talks with the Indonesian Government to strategically develop the Sabang Port, one of Indonesia’s major ports. The Adani Group is also working on developing the Haifa port, one of the busiest ports in Israel responsible for managing maximum cargo traffic. The Adani Group has decided to establish a transit port and a new container terminal at the Sabang port. The port is near the Strait of Malacca. This is a global trade route. The initial investment to be made in the project is around 1 billion USD. This is one of the most significant capital allocations made by the Adani Group after Adani shares overleveraged.
What Is the Main Reason Behind Adani Group’s Interest in the Sabang Port?
Analysts worldwide have mentioned that the Sabang Port’s strategic location and foreign policy significance make it one of the most vital ports for global trade and economic growth. The development of the port will provide India quick and easy access to the Malacca Strait. The development of the port is currently awaiting approval from the Indonesian Government. Once the approval is received, the port expansion activities will kick off. The day is not far when the port will start handling cargo traffic from various strategic locations worldwide.
The Strait of Malacca is one of the most important trade routes for goods and resource movement between East and West Asian nations. A significant amount of global trade in different goods passes regularly through this route. Most of China’s energy imports also rely heavily on this port. This makes it one of the most significant ports in the world. Many experts have also mentioned that the development of the Sabang port would improve India’s strategic position relative to China in the Indian Ocean.
What Made Adani Group Take Up the Project in the First Place?
In 2018, the coordinating minister of Indonesia for maritime affairs, Luhut Pandjaitan, highlighted that the Sabang port could easily accommodate submarines and shipping vessels. This has led to strategic thoughts on the expansion of the port. The initiatives have been taken to trigger the construction activity so that the port operations can commence soon. The Adani Group depends heavily on the Indonesian project to expand its maritime operations which will also help tackle the Adani shares overleveraged issue. The Group is also considering developing the ports in Vietnam, Mediterranean and East African countries like Kenya and Tanzania.
How Will the Sabang Port Benefit the People of Indonesia?
The development of a modern, efficient port in Indonesia will significantly boost Indonesia’s trading capability. It will facilitate the easy movement of goods and attract international shipping lines. The port operations will also reduce logistic costs and create multiple job opportunities for the people of Indonesia. It can have a positive impact on local employment. Indonesia will experience overall economic growth. A growing economy will be able to strengthen its trading relationships with various countries in the Asia Pacific region. This is a profitable venture for Indonesia. The project will also help the Adani Group recover from the situation when Adani shares overleveraged.
Adani Group’s Aim of Gaining Control Over the Crucial Ports of the World:
Adani Group has always been interested in developing various ports across the world. Although the conglomerate received a setback after the Adani shares overleveraged, it always had hope. Currently, it has control over 13 different ports across India. It also owns control over other ports in various corners of the world. By doing so, Adani Group is not far from becoming the world’s biggest port operator. It will be able to enhance its portfolio further. The conglomerate has already improved its relationships with countries like Sri Lanka, Australia, and Israel. After the development of the Sabang Port, the Adani Group will be able to strengthen its ties with Indonesia further. The trade operations of India will improve significantly. This will place us, as a country, on the map of global trade and economy.
Conclusion:
Once Adani Group completes its work on developing the Sabang Port, it will play a crucial role in global trade. This growth will bring the Group one step closer to its goal of becoming the most significant port operator in the world. It will also strengthen the backbone of India and make us one of the most strategic destinations for global trade and commerce.
SHIVAM SHARMA