Indian company Adani Group has signed an agreement with local partners John Keells Holdings, and the Sri Lanka Ports Authority to jointly develop the West Container Terminal (WCT) at the Colombo Port.
The Adani Group has signed a build-operate-transfer (BOT) agreement with an investment exceeding USD 700 million.
According to sources, the Adani Group has been in talks with John Keells, one of the largest conglomerates in Sri Lanka, on aspects of design and a probable timeline for execution.
The agreement signed among all three stakeholders, which was conducted virtually today, will, however, bear details of the execution of the project.
The Adani Group had initially been involved in the agreement to develop the East Container Terminal (ECT) jointly with Japan.
However, both India and Japan were ejected from the ECT project over concerns raised by Trade Unions, monks, and other parties.
The Government thereafter announced the involvement of the Adani Group in the West Container Terminal (WCT).
The Indian role in the WCT project, through investment from Adani Group, is said to be “strictly private sector”, unlike the proposed ECT that entailed governmental involvement. (NewsWire)