JSW Infrastructure’s Ground-Level Approach to Sustainable Growth

Sustainability commitments are only as meaningful as the operational reality behind them. For JSW Infrastructure Limited (JSWIL), India’s second-largest private port operator and a core entity within the JSW Group, the distance between policy and practice is deliberately minimised.

Across its network of ports and terminals on the West and East coasts of India, the Company’s approach to ESG governance is defined by intentional actions – keeping close look into how infrastructure is developed, how operations are managed and how performance is measured and reported.

The commitment to achieving net GHG neutrality by 2050 is ambitious in its scope. It is made credible, however, by the structured, measurable and methodical work already under way across the Company’s port infrastructure. Its work that reflects a clear conviction that sustainable growth and operational excellence are not competing priorities, but complementary ones.

The Energy Transition: Electrification and Renewables

JSWIL has identified renewable energy adoption in direct operations as a strategic opportunity to reduce dependence on fossil fuels and strengthen long-term sustainable growth. Concretely, this has meant initiating biofuel blending trials, installing solar panels onsite, and integrating renewable electricity at its Mangalore Coal and Container Terminal, and Ennore Coal Terminal. Together, these measures have reduced Scope 2 greenhouse gas emissions and delivered meaningful cost savings.

In FY25, the Company consumed approximately 1,56,657 MWh of electricity, of which 18.4% was sourced from renewables. The target is to increase this to 20% in the medium term and to 100% in the long term. A progression that is both environmentally significant and financially sound, given that renewable electricity is typically cheaper to procure than grid power.

The pathway is also structurally enabled. With major cargo handling equipment already electrically driven, the transition to clean power is not a distant ambition requiring wholesale operational change. It is a natural, feasible progression aligned with the Company’s net zero commitments.

Building Waste Circularity

The Company continues to strengthen its waste management programmes through initiatives designed to minimise environmental impact across its ports and terminals. Regular waste audits are conducted to identify inefficiencies and inform targeted action plans, whilst quantified targets ensure that progress on waste reduction is measurable and accountable rather than merely aspirational.

Circular economy models are being actively explored, with investments in advanced waste treatment technologies and research into waste-as-resource approaches. This goes beyond compliance towards genuine environmental stewardship. Critically, employee engagement and waste reduction training are delivered across all operational levels. It is precisely this kind of ground-level ownership that turns a sustainable infrastructure framework into a lived practice.

Biodiversity: Protecting What Lies Beyond the Berth

Port-led infrastructure doesn’t exist in ecological isolation. The coastlines, waterways and land areas surrounding strategically located ports are home to ecosystems and species that require active protection. JSWIL has built a structured governance framework to oversee nature-related dependencies, impacts, risks and opportunities across its operations. At the Board-level oversight, the Sustainability Committee meets annually to review progress on climate action, biodiversity conservation and environmental compliance.

At an operational level, the Company is enhancing plant diversity across its premises and supporting local fauna through practical measures such as bird shelters and water provisioning. Biodiversity assessments inform future planning and help align operations with global sustainability frameworks.

Climate Risk: Planning Across Time Horizons

Building ports for the future means building ports that can withstand the risks that climate change presents. The Company evaluates climate-related risks across three timeframes: a baseline period (1985-2014), a 2030 horizon and a 2050 horizon. The 2030 timeframe is prioritised for near-term budgeting, whilst 2050 informs long-term infrastructure investments.

Every new berth built, every terminal expanded and every logistics corridor developed is assessed against two factors. First, commercial requirements and second is its exposure to evolving climate conditions from extreme weather events to sea-level projections. This dual-factor approach ensures that sustainable growth is not treated as a long-term aspiration disconnected from today’s decisions.

The Road to 2050

Reaching net neutrality by 2050 is not the work of a single year or a single initiative. It is the work of every year between now and then —across every function and along every coast where JSW Infrastructure operates.

The Company has begun that work in the most grounded way possible: by doing. Biofuel blending trials at operational terminals, renewable electricity integrated at Mangalore and Ennore, solar installations onsite, waste audits conducted, targets set, results tracked. These are small actions in isolation — but repeated consistently, add up to something significant.