Central Warehousing Corporation Invites ₹1,167 Crore PPP Bids for Pan-India Warehousing Expansion

Central Warehousing Corporation (CWC) has invited bids for the development of modern warehousing facilities at 34 locations across the country under the public–private partnership model. The proposed projects, with a total estimated value of about ₹1,167 crore, will be executed through the Design, Build, Finance, Operate and Transfer (DBFOT) framework.

The initiative is aimed at strengthening India’s warehousing and logistics infrastructure by bringing private sector participation into the development and long-term operation of storage assets. According to the tender document, the successful bidder will be required to form a special purpose company to implement the project. The concession agreement must be signed within 45 days from the issuance of the letter of award.

The warehousing facilities will be developed across multiple states, including Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Kerala and Karnataka, along with other regions. The wide geographic spread reflects CWC’s plan to upgrade storage capacity in key agricultural and industrial belts, improving supply chain efficiency and reducing post-harvest and transit losses.

The project follows a phased operational structure. Commercial Operation Date 1 will mark the start of operations after the handover of the project site, while Commercial Operation Date 2 will commence once the construction of new assets is completed. This approach allows early utilisation of available infrastructure while ensuring timely addition of new warehousing capacity.

Industry experts note that the move is significant at a time when demand for organised warehousing is rising due to growth in agriculture procurement, food processing, manufacturing and e-commerce. PPP-based models such as DBFOT are increasingly seen as effective tools to accelerate infrastructure creation without placing the full financial burden on public agencies.

For developers and logistics operators, the CWC tender offers an opportunity to partner with a central government-backed institution and secure long-term revenue streams from strategic assets. The projects are expected to support smoother movement of goods, better inventory management and improved logistics performance across regions.

The closing date for bid submission is January 14, 2025. Market participants are expected to closely track the response to the tender, given the scale of investment and the growing importance of warehousing in India’s economic and infrastructure landscape.