The Government of India's Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has approved a project to deepen and widen the Mumbai Harbour Channel at Jawaharlal Nehru (JN) Port in Maharashtra with an investment of around Rs20.29bn ($310m). 

The proposed Phase-II port expansion will see the existing channel widened from the current 370m to 450m for straight reach. The channel's draft will also be increased from the current 14m to 15m.

An area of approximately 35.03 million m³ will be dredged under the project, including 1.73 million m³ rock dredging.

The project is expected to be implemented through global tenders, and will be funded through the internal resources of JN Port Trust (JNPT), with additional market borrowing if required.

"The project is expected to be implemented through global tenders, and will be funded through the internal resources of JN Port Trust (JNPT), with additional market borrowing if required."

The development is scheduled to be completed within two years of the contract's finalisation.

JNPT currently has a five million twenty feet equivalent unit (TEUs) container handling capacity, which is set to be increased to 9.8 million TEUs once the new terminal becomes operational.

Vessels of more than 8,000-12,000 TEU size will also be able to visit the JN Port.

The Government of India has also announced that a vessel berthing operation at its newly constructed Roll-on Roll-off (Ro-Ro) terminal in Assam is now underway, as part of a separate development.

The Rs460m ($7m) terminal was built by the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI).