Of the 10 companies that sought prequalification, only HPH has been excluded.Other bidders include Mitsui (Japan), DP World and Evergreen Marine of Taiwan.

The Indian authorities, it is believed, will also bar Hutchison from bidding for any maritime projects in the country, recalling a similar incident that took place recently in the US when DP World was forced to announce the sale of the US terminals controlled by P&O ports, when it took over the company.

The Indian government is clearly troubled by having the Chinese competitor present in projects that it views key to the country's overall economic development. HPH, for its part,would dearly like a toehold in the subcontinent, which would allow it to participate in the burgeoning economic growth in the region.