Government plans Kamarajar Port IPO by FY27, India’s first-ever government-owned port listing

NEW DELHI : The Union government is preparing to list Kamarajar Port through an IPO in FY27, marking the first-ever listing of a government-owned port in the country and only the fourth port company overall to access public markets.

Timed with the port’s silver jubilee year, the Kamarajar Port IPO carries both symbolic and structural significance. According to officials familiar with the process, regulatory and administrative approvals are in the final stages, clearing the runway for what could become a precedent-setting transaction in PSU-led infrastructure monetisation.

Kamarajar Port IPO: A Port with a Unique Institutional DNA
Kamarajar Port stands apart in India’s port ecosystem. Unlike the 11 other major Union government ports that operate as statutory authorities under the Major Port Authorities Act, 2021, Kamarajar Port is the only state-owned port incorporated under the Companies Act. This corporate structure has enabled sharper financial discipline, operational flexibility, and governance standards closer to private-sector norms.

Originally commissioned as Ennore Port and rechristened in 2014 after freedom fighter and former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K. Kamaraj, the port became a 100% subsidiary of the Chennai Port Authority in 2020, following a government-to-government stake transfer valued at INR 2,383 crore.

Operational Strength Anchored in Volumes & Efficiency
From an operational standpoint, Kamarajar Port has demonstrated consistent throughput growth: