STRATEGIC PORT-LED DEVELOPMENT AND EXPORT GROWTH: A STUDY OF MUNDRA PORT
Keywords:
Mundra Port, Port-Led Development, Export Diversification, Special Economic Zone (SEZ), Hinterland ConnectivityAbstract
This paper investigates the role of Mundra Port - India's largest commercial port - as a catalyst for regional and national export growth. Drawing on secondary data from the Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone (APSEZ) Annual Reports, the Directorate General of Commercial Intelligence and Statistics (DGCI&S), the Ministry of Commerce and Industry and the Gujarat Industrial Development Corporation (GIDC), the study traces cargo traffic trends, export commodity flows, Special Economic Zone (SEZ) performance and employment generation from 2015–16 to 2023–24. The findings indicate a robust positive correlation between port infrastructure investment and export diversification, affirming that Mundra's strategic development has been instrumental in elevating Gujarat's share of India's total merchandise exports. The paper concludes with policy implications for replicating the Mundra model at other emerging port clusters.
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