India's biggest container port may soon head to the stock market, with the Centre beginning preliminary work towards a potential initial public offering (IPO) of the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority (JNPA) as part of its wider infrastructure monetisation strategy.

According to a report by Mint, the government has initiated early-stage discussions and engaged state-backed investment banks to help prepare the port authority for the regulatory and compliance requirements associated with a public listing.

The process is currently at a nascent stage, with approvals from multiple departments still pending and no valuation or timeline finalised.

"The process is in the preliminary stages and involves multiple layers of departmental approvals," a source involved in the discussions was quoted as saying in the report.

"Government mandates of this nature follow a specific trajectory that requires consistent oversight to move from the initial engagement to a formal filing."

Located near Mumbai on the Arabian Sea coast, JNPA handles nearly 54 per cent of India's container traffic across major ports.

The port reported a sharp rise in profitability during FY25, with net profit climbing 52 per cent to Rs 2,053 crore on revenue of Rs 3,262 crore.

"No discussions on valuations have occurred at this stage," another source was quoted as saying by Mint. "The current phase involves hand-holding the authority through the compliance and reporting standards required for a public listing."

The proposed IPO forms part of the National Monetisation Pipeline, under which the government aims to unlock value from established public infrastructure assets to fund future development projects.