Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone (APSEZ) has operationalised India’s first Port of Refuge (PoR), addressing a long-standing gap in maritime emergency infrastructure, creating a structured mechanism to handle maritime emergencies and vessels in distress.

A PoR, as defined by the International Maritime Organization, is a designated location where ships can seek shelter to stabilise conditions, protect life and limit environmental damage. While such frameworks are standard in major maritime economies, India had not formalised one until now. The move comes as India, with a coastline of over 11,000 kilometres and located along key global shipping routes, seeks to strengthen its emergency response capabilities.

APSEZ will designate two sites as PoR: Dighi Port on the west coast, supporting traffic across the Arabian Sea and routes to the Persian Gulf and Gopalpur Port on the east coast, serving vessels in the Bay of Bengal and routes towards the Malacca Strait, one of the world’s busiest maritime trade corridors. The facilities will provide salvage and wreck removal, firefighting, pollution containment and emergency coordination services through specialised equipment and trained response teams.

The initiative is backed by a tripartite memorandum of understanding (MoU) with SMIT Salvage, the salvage and emergency response division of Royal Boskalis Westminster N.V. (Boskalis) and the Maritime Emergency Response Centre (MERC), bringing global expertise and coordinated response capability. The capability will support vessels insured under the International Group of Protection and Indemnity (P&I) Clubs, aligning with global maritime risk and liability frameworks.

Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone (APSEZ) is the largest commercial ports operator in India accounting for nearly one-fourth of the cargo movement in the country.