New Delhi, Sept. 18 -- The government is considering almost doubling the 30-year contract tenure, or concession period, for private and common-user port terminals to bring such infrastructure closer to the longer-tenure models adopted for airports and mining, two people aware of the discussions said. The idea is to attract more patient private capital into infrastructure that entails large upfront investments and long gestation periods, they said.

The ports, shipping and waterways ministry is examining whether the existing 30-year concession framework for non-captive terminals should be extended, said one of the people cited above, requesting anonymity.

The move to make the operations attractive could benefit global and Indian operators...