Krishnapatnam Port: Capitalizing on the Opportunity to Create a Greenfield Port in South India

Set in 2005 in Hyderabad, India, the case revolves around the dilemma facing Chinta Sasidhar, a young entrepreneur and Director of Navayuga Engineering Company Limited (NECL), who was presented with an unexpected opportunity to develop Krishnapatnam Port, a greenfield seaport on the east coast of India. Sasidhar had to decide whether or not to take on the mammoth infrastructure project with all of its associated challenges, or continue working on the transformation of NECL's traditional business. Sasidhar met with Srinivas Vallabhaneni, a seasoned entrepreneur whom he regarded as an advisor, and told him about his predicament. They discussed Sasidhar's dilemma over a game of golf, the conversation taking several different turns over the course of their game. Through a series of thought-provoking questions, the case lays the framework for a thorough evaluation of the new opportunity- what Sasidhar needs to do in order to decide whether or not to go forward with the port project. This is the crux of the case-evaluating an entrepreneurial opportunity in the infrastructure sector in India.

Learning Objectives:

In the context of developing and managing a large infrastructure project the case will enable participants to: Learn about opportunity evaluation Understand entrepreneurial risk Identify and understand the need for and challenges involved in developing a brand for a major infrastructure project (in this instance, a new seaport) in the context of intense competition (in this case from existing ports in India and proximate international ports).