- Adani Ports is evaluating a potential bid for Associated British Ports.
- The UK port operator is estimated to be worth more than £10 billion.
- If completed, the acquisition would be Adani Ports' biggest international deal to date.
Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone (APSEZ) is evaluating a potential bid for Associated British Ports (ABP), the UK's largest port operator, according to Moneycontrol. If the deal materialises, it could become the Indian company's biggest international acquisition and significantly expand its presence in Europe.
The discussions are still at an early stage and may not lead to a formal offer, the publication reported, citing people familiar with the matter. ABP, which operates 21 ports across England, Scotland and Wales, is estimated to be worth more than £10 billion.
An APSEZ spokesperson reportedly said the company does not comment on market speculation or rumours, but continuously evaluates opportunities that align with its long-term strategy and create value for stakeholders.
A gateway to the UK's trade network
Associated British Ports is one of the UK's most important transport infrastructure businesses. It owns and operates ports including Southampton and the Humber, handling around 25 per cent of the country's seaborne trade.
Its operations cover container shipping, automobiles, bulk cargo, cruise terminals and industrial real estate, making it a strategically important logistics network.
According to the report, Canadian pension funds CPP Investments and Ontario Municipal Employees Retirement System (OMERS) together own about 64 per cent of ABP.
A Bloomberg report published in April said several global infrastructure investors and port operators, including KKR, Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP), Brookfield Asset Management and DP World, had shown preliminary interest in the business. However, the sale process was also reported to be in its early stages, with no formal bids submitted at that time.
A bigger global footprint
If Adani Ports proceeds with an acquisition, it would mark the company's largest overseas investment and strengthen its international network in one of Europe's biggest trading economies.
The company has steadily expanded outside India in recent years. Its overseas assets include a 70 per cent stake in Israel's Haifa Port, the Colombo West International Terminal in Sri Lanka, Container Terminal 2 at Dar es Salaam in Tanzania and the North Queensland Export Terminal in Australia.
India's largest private port operator currently manages 15 ports and terminals with a cargo-handling capacity of around 627 million tonnes a year. It handled a record 500 million tonnes of cargo during FY26 and has set a target of increasing annual cargo volumes to one billion tonnes by 2030.
While no formal bid has been announced, a successful acquisition of Associated British Ports would give Adani Ports a significant operating base in the UK and further strengthen its position as a global ports operator.
