South Asia's Port Race Heats Up as Hambantota, JNPA, and Mundra Compete for Transhipment Dominance

Intra-regional port competition across South Asia is intensifying at a pace not seen in years, with Sri Lanka and India emerging as the central battlegrounds in a high-stakes contest for transhipment supremacy. Repeated supply chain disruptions have kept ocean carriers on the lookout for reliable alternatives, and ports across the region are racing to fill that gap. Hambantota International Port (HIP), long seen as a sleeping giant in Sri Lanka's maritime landscape, is aggressively positioning itself as a credible rival to the congested Port of Colombo. Having officially launched container operations in 2024, Hambantota has already attracted significant liner customers away from Colombo, where capacity strains have become an increasingly persistent problem. Now, port owner China Merchants Port Holdings (CMPort) is doubling down on that momentum with a fresh capital commitment of $108 million earmarked for container equipment upgrades. The investment comes as the port records a surge in ad-hoc vessel calls, a trend driven in part by overflow demand spilling out