New Delhi, May 11 -- The government is exploring an initial public offering for the country's largest container port, managed by the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority, and has engaged state-backed investment banks to initiate the regulatory processes for the share sale, two people aware of the matter told Mint.

The process remains in the earliest stages, with no valuation discussions yet and no timeline set, the people said, who asked not to be identified because the talks are private. The focus is on preparing JNPA for the compliance and reporting standards required of a publicly listed organization-this is something that is needed before pricing or deal structuring can commence.

"The process is in the preliminary stages and involves mul...