By BullScreen Editorial Team 
Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone Ltd (APSEZ) has operationalised India’s first Port of Refuge, creating a formal system to handle maritime emergencies and vessels in distress, a move that fills a critical gap in the country’s coastal infrastructure.
A Port of Refuge is a designated safe zone where ships facing emergencies can stabilise conditions, protect crew, and minimise environmental damage. While widely adopted in global maritime economies, India had lacked such a framework despite its strategic location along key international shipping routes and a coastline spanning over 11,000 kilometres.
APSEZ has identified Dighi Port on the west coast and Gopalpur Port on the east coast as the initial sites. These locations will support traffic across major corridors including the Arabian Sea, Persian Gulf routes, Bay of Bengal, and the Malacca Strait.
The facilities will offer maritime safety services such as salvage operations, firefighting, pollution control, and emergency coordination through specialised equipment and trained teams. The initiative is backed by a tripartite agreement involving SMIT Salvage and the Maritime Emergency Response Centre, bringing global expertise into India’s response framework.
The system will also support ships insured under international P&I Clubs, aligning India with global maritime risk standards. Industry experts say this development strengthens India’s ability to respond swiftly to maritime incidents, reducing risks to cargo, environment, and coastal communities.
For APSEZ, which handles nearly 27% of India’s port cargo, the move enhances its positioning as a global-standard logistics operator. The rollout of a structured emergency response mechanism is expected to improve investor confidence in India’s maritime infrastructure while reinforcing its role in global trade networks.