Jump to content

List of ports in India

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Map showing the location of airports and seaports in India

In India, ports are categorised into Mega ports, Major ports and Non-Major ports. As of 2024, the country has 14 major ports[1] and 217 non-major ports out of which four of them are notified as Mega ports in september 2026. Major ports are administered by the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways under the Government of India, whereas non-major ports fall under the jurisdiction of State Maritime Boards of respective state governments, including private ports operating under the public–private partnership (PPP) model. A port is declared to be Mega port if it handled 150 million metric tonnes (MMT) of cargo in the preceding financial year in the case of a bulk port, or 7.5 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) in the case of a container port regardless of if it is Major or Non-Major. Among the 217 non-major ports, cargo is handled only at 68 ports, others are used by fishing vessels and ferries.[2]

India has a coastline of 11,098 kilometres,[3] forming one of the largest peninsulas in the world. According to the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, around 95 percent of India's trading by volume and 70 percent by value is done through maritime transport. India's major ports handled highest ever cargo of 795 million tonne in FY23.[4] Paradip Port is the largest container port in India owned by government.

Due to the shallow depth of its east coast ports (8-12 meters),[5] India is unable to accommodate large ships,[6] causing 25% of its cargo to be diverted to deeper foreign ports[7] and resulting in an annual economic loss of Rs 1,500-4,500 crore.[8] In 2024, the upcoming International Container Transshipment Port, Galathea Bay was notified as India's 13th major port. Its first phase of development is expected to be commissioned in 2028.[1] Port Blair, which was notified as a major port in 2010, was later removed. The ports are spread across Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Andhra Pradesh, Goa, Gujarat, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Odisha, Puducherry, Tamil Nadu, and West Bengal.[9] Government of India plans to build new greenfield ports and also built associated infrastructure such as railway lines through the 2015 established Sagar Mala project,[10] and National Maritime Development Program.[11]

Shipping in India

[edit]

According to Constitution of India, maritime transport is to be administered by both the Central and the State governments. While the central government's shipping ministry administers the major ports, the minor and intermediate ports are administered by the relevant departments or ministries in the nine coastal states of Andhra Pradesh, Goa, Gujarat, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Odisha, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal. Several of these 187 minor and intermediate ports have been identified by the respective governments to be developed, in a phased manner, a good proportion of them involving public–private partnership.

The maritime boards of state governments administer control of minor ports owned by state governments. In 2018–19, minor ports of Gujarat alone handled total 542 MMT of cargo.[12] Maharashtra Maritime Board sets record of handling 71 mn tons of cargo in 2022–23.[13]

Capacity

[edit]

The capacity of Indian ports currently stands at 2,604.99 mtpa.[14] The container throughput of Indian ports stood at 17 million TEUs for the period 2020.[15] Mundra Port is the largest port as well as the highest capacity port in India, and it is also the largest container port by volume. It has a capacity to handle 338 MMT (Million Metric Tons) of cargo annually. Paradip Port has the 2nd highest cargo capacity of 150 MMT. Kandla Port has 3rd highest capacity.

Ship building

[edit]
MV Goa built by Hindustan Shipyard in 1997 for SCI

India has been building large ships after the independence using companies like Hindustan Shipyard, Pipavav Shipyard and Cochin Shipyard. SS Jala Usha, a steamship built by Hindustan Shipyard in 1948 and the first of its kind to be built within the Indian subcontinent after WW-II.The first oil tanker built by Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL) was the MV Rani Padmini, which was delivered in July 1981.[16] India launched 93,000 DWT oil tanker in 2002 under Third Vajpayee ministry, The ship named Maharshi Parashuram built by Cochin Shipyard was 237 meter long double vessel was fitted with 14,300 HP engine.[17] Abul Kalam Azad is another similar-size oil tanker ship built by Cochin Shipyard in 1999 which has been scrapped.[18]

Ship breaking

[edit]

As of January 2020, India has 30% share of ship breaking with annual US$1.1 billion revenue. India is a signatory to Hong Kong International Convention for the safe and environmentally sound recycling of ships. India plans to pass the "Recycling of Ships Act, 2019" to ratify the Hong Kong treaty. This will allow India to capture its targeted 60% in the global ship breaking business while doubling the annual to US$2.3 billion target.[19] India's Alang-Sosiya Ship Breaking Yard is world's largest ships' graveyard.[19] Other ship graveyards in India is the Steel Industrials Kerala Limited breaking unit.[20]

Ports in India

[edit]

Sagar Mala: port-led development

[edit]

See Sagar Mala project.

Transshipment ports

[edit]

Most ports on India's east coast have a depth of 8-12 metres, which is too shallow for large ships.[5] The world's major ports are 12-20 metres deep, which can handle ships weighing more than 1.65 lakh tonnes.[6] That's why 25% of India's cargo goes through foreign ports like Colombo Port Sri Lanka, Jurong Port Singapore and Klang Port Malaysia.[7] This leads to a direct loss of Rs 1,500 crore every year and a setback of Rs 3,000-4,500 crore every year to India's GDP.[8] To move this 25% transshipment from foreignports back to Indian ports, India is developing following deep sea ports as automated global international container transshipment hubs:

    • Cochin Port in Kerala: existing and operational, 14.5m draft depth. India's first international container transshipment terminal (ICTT).[25][26]
    • Vadhavan Port in Maharashtra, greenfield, under-construction with Phase-1 completion by 2029 and phase-2 by 2024, 20 meters draft, India's first offshore port on artificial island.[34][35][36][37][38]

Classification of Indian Ports

[edit]

Mega Ports

[edit]

The Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways officially notified Deendayal (Kandla), Jawaharlal Nehru (Nhava Sheva), Paradip, and Mundra as India's first mega ports under Section 73 of the Indian Ports Act, 2025 via a gazette notification issued on September 25, 2026.[39] The notification states that the four ports satisfy the criteria for classification as a mega port. These criteria were notified on July 30, 2026 in consultation with State governments. Under the criteria, a port is eligible to be declared a mega port if it handled 150 million metric tonnes (MMT) of cargo in the preceding financial year in the case of a bulk port, or 7.5 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) in the case of a container port. Where a port handles both container and bulk cargo, container volumes are to be converted to tonnes using the conversion method adopted by the port. Cargo throughput includes all export-import and coastal cargo, whether bulk, break-bulk, liquid, dry or containerised. It is to be computed in a manner that avoids double counting of transhipped cargo as far as practicable.

No. Name Estb. Year Image Area
(km2)		 Location State/UT Cargo handled
in MTPA
(FY2022-23)
1 Mundra Port 1998 Mundra Gujarat Adani Group136
2 Deendayal Port 1965 9.83[40] Kandla Gujarat 269.1
3 Paradip Port 1966 10 Paradeep Odisha 289.75
4 Jawaharlal Nehru Port 1988 3.37 Navi Mumbai Maharashtra 141.37

Deepwater Container Transhipment Port (Mother Port)

[edit]
No. Name Estb. Year Image City State Ownership
1 International Deepwater ContainerTranshipment Port in Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum Port) 2025 Trivandrum Kerala Vizhinjam International Seaport Ltd, Government of Kerala

Major Ports

[edit]

The ports under the Central Government of India are known as Major ports, and other ports owned by private operators are classified as Non-Major ports, irrespective of total cargo handled. The following are the Major ports of India:[41][42]

No. Name Estb. Year Image Area
(km2)		 Location State/UT Cargo handled
in MTPA
(FY2022-23)
1 Chennai Port 1881 Chennai Tamil Nadu136
2 Cochin Port 1928 KochiKerala79.9
3 Kamarajar Port 2001 Ennore Tamil Nadu 91
4 Mormugao Port 1985

MormugaoGoa63.4
5 Mumbai Port 1873 MumbaiMaharashtra84
6 New Mangalore Port 1974 8.22 MangaluruKarnataka114.96
7 Haldia Dock Complex 1977 25.77 HaldiaWest Bengal92.77
8 Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port 1870 KolkataWest Bengal50.7
9 V. O. Chidambaranar Port (Thoothukudi Port) 1974 2.428 ThoothukkudiTamil Nadu111.46
10 Visakhapatnam Port 1933 VisakhapatnamAndhra Pradesh143.68

Non-Major Ports

[edit]

The ports owned by private operators are classified as Minor ports, irrespective of total cargo handled. The following are the Non-Major ports of India:

No. Name Estb. Year Image City State Ownership
1 Karaikal Port 2009 KaraikalPuducherryAdani Group
2 Jaigad Port 2006 JaigadMaharashtraJSW Group
3 Krishnapatnam Port 2008 KrishnapatnamAndhra PradeshAdani Group
4 Dharamtar Port 2012 AlibagMaharashtraJSW Group
5 Hazira Port 2025 HaziraGujaratAdani Group
6 Dighi Port 2000 RaigadMaharashtraAdani Group
7 Dhamra Port 2011 BhadrakOdishaAdani Group
8 Gopalpur Port 2013 GopalpurOdishaAdani Group
9 Gangavaram Port 2009 VisakhapatnamAndhra PradeshAdani Group
10 Kattupalli Port 2012 KattupalliTamil NaduAdani Group
11 Dahej Port 2010 DahejGujaratAdani Group
12 Kakinada Port 1999 KakinadaAndhra PradeshKSL
13 Tuna Port 2022[43] TunaGujaratAdani Group
14 Machilipatnam Port 2025 MachilipatnamAndhra PradeshMPDCL
15 Port Pipavav 2002 PipavavGujaratAPM Terminals
16 Vizhinjam Port 1946 Trivandrum Kerala Kerala Maritime Board under Government of Kerala

Unranked seaports

[edit]

River ports

[edit]

The following are the River ports of India:

Statistics

[edit]
Top 10 ports in India by container traffic (FY 2025-26)[44] [45] [46] [47] [48] [49] [50] [51] [52] [53]
Year Container traffic in million TEUs
Mundra
8.5
Mumbai (JNPT)
8.17
Chennai
1.91
Trivandrum (Vizhinjam)
1.3
Kolkata (SPMP)
0.96
Tuticorin
0.8
Kochi
0.76
Ennore
0.7
Pipavav
0.66
Kandla
0.62

Maritime boards

[edit]

Maritime boards by state:[54]

State Maritime BoardsEstablished
Gujarat Maritime Board1982
Maharashtra Maritime Board1996
Tamil Nadu Maritime Board1997
Karnataka Maritime Board2017
Kerala Maritime Board2017
Andhra Pradesh Maritime Board2019
West Bengal Maritime Board2015
Odisha Maritime Board2022
  • No maritime board has been established in the state of Goa yet, but the Government's Captain of Ports Department (established in 1912) looks after the development of Inland Waterways and Minor Ports of Goa.

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. 1 2 Simhan, T. E. Raja (20 October 2024). "Galathea Bay: New major port can be game changer". Business Line. Retrieved 10 December 2024.
  2. ↑ "Financial Assistance of approx of about Rs. 1891 crore released under Sagarmala schemes, 151 projects sanctioned till date". Pib.gov.in. 20 December 2022. Retrieved 10 May 2024.
  3. ↑ "MHA: India's recalculated coastline up 48% in 53 years | India News - Times of India". timesofindia.indiatimes.com. Retrieved 21 September 2025.
  4. ↑ |url=https://shipmin.gov.in/sites/default/files/Cargo%20handled%20at%20Major%20Ports%20January%202025%20%281%29.pdf
  5. 1 2 A STUDY ON BERTH AND DEPTH OF MAJOR PORTS IN INDIA, ijcrt.org, accessed 9 Sept 2025.
  6. 1 2 10 Biggest Ports in the World: 2025 Ranking & Analysis, shipfinex.com, accessed 9 Sept 2025.
  7. 1 2 Can India's container transhipment hubs take on Colombo, livemint.com, accessed 9 Sept 2025.
  8. 1 2 Adani Ports focussing on scaling up marine, logistics & agri-logistics biz, economictimes, accessed 9 Sept 2025.
  9. ↑ "MoS, GoI". Archived from the original on 5 February 2016. Retrieved 26 March 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  10. ↑ "Cabinet gives 'in principle' nod to concept of Sagarmala project". Economic Times, Times of India. 27 March 2015. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 4 July 2015.
  11. ↑ "National Maritime Development Programme". Press Information Bureau, Government of India. 17 December 2015. Retrieved 3 February 2022.
  12. ↑ Media, Gateway (5 April 2019). "GMB ports handle 400 mmt of cargo in 2018-19". Maritime Gateway. Retrieved 15 August 2020.
  13. ↑ "Maharashtra Maritime Board sets record of handling 71 mn tons of cargo in 2022-23 - ET Infra".
  14. ↑ Rajan, Jessica (28 July 2023). "Cargo handling capacity of ports to rise in 2024". The Economic Times.
  15. ↑ "Maritime India Vision (MIV) 2030 estimates investments of Rs. 1,00,000–1,25,000 crore for capacity augmentation and development of world-class infrastructure at Indian Ports".
  16. ↑ "Sailing successfully through a sea of change". The Hindu. 13 August 2013. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 8 November 2024.
  17. ↑ "India's biggest oil tanker to be launched today". The Times of India. 22 January 2002. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 8 November 2024.
  18. ↑ Rowles, Grant (1 January 2018). "Shipping Corporation of India sends ageing tanker for scrap". Splash247. Retrieved 8 November 2024.
  19. 1 2 India eyes 60 per cent share of global ship recycling business; higher GDP contribution, Economic Times, 30 December 2019.
  20. ↑ Sucheth, P R (26 May 2014). "Locals up in Arms against SILK Ship-breaking Unit". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 3 February 2022.
  21. ↑ "Shri Sarbananda Sonowal visits Galathea Bay in Great Nicobar Island and reviews progress of proposed International Container Transhipment Port (ICTP)". Press Information Bureau. Retrieved 10 December 2024.
  22. ↑ "From vision to reality: Great Nicobar Island's transformation plan". thehillstimes.in. 21 March 2024. Retrieved 20 June 2024.
  23. ↑ "Government to build International Container Transhipment Port in Great Nicobar Island". Financialexpress. 27 January 2023. Retrieved 12 October 2023.
  24. ↑ Simhan, T. E. Raja (20 October 2024). "Galathea Bay: New major port can be game changer". Business Line. Retrieved 10 December 2024.
  25. ↑ "Berth Information". Archived from the original on 20 September 2020. Retrieved 18 July 2020.
  26. ↑ "Cochin Port Authority records highest cargo traffic in FY25". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 3 April 2025.
  27. ↑ "Union Minister Shri Sarbananda Sonowal receives First Mother Ship at Vizhinjam- India's first deep water Container Transhipment Port". pib.gov.in.
  28. ↑ Adani Group's Trivandrum Port: India Maritime Story Welcomes First Mothership At Vizhinjam Port (YouTube). ET Now. 12 July 2024. Event occurs at N/A. Retrieved 25 February 2025.
  29. ↑ "DPR" (PDF). Adani Ports. Adani Ports and SEZ. 31 March 2023. p. 45. Retrieved 15 August 2024.
  30. ↑ "Shipment of Quay Cranes for the Adani Vizhinjam Port Project in India-Shanghai Zhenhua Heavy Industries Co., Ltd". www.zpmc.com.
  31. ↑ "Environment compliance Report" (PDF). Adani Ports. VISIL, Government of Kerala. 15 June 2021. p. 45. Retrieved 15 August 2024.
  32. ↑ "Vizhinjam Port: A Game-Changer for India's Maritime Trade". 2 May 2025.
  33. ↑ "PM Modi dedicates Vizhinjam international seaport to the nation". The Hindu. 2 May 2025. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 2 May 2025.
  34. ↑ "This memorandum of understanding entered into on 5th day of Jun 2015 at Mumbai. For Development of a satellite port for Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPA) off Vadhvan point south of Dahanu port on the cost of Maharashtra between Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPA) and Maharashtra Maritime Board (MMB)" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 September 2023. Retrieved 5 April 2024.
  35. ↑ "The upcoming 13th Major Port of India, the Vadhavan Port at Maharashtra!!". YouTube. 7 July 2024.
  36. ↑ "India's Mega Port Development Project 'Sagarmala': An Explainer for Investors". 31 August 2018.
  37. ↑ "India to get six new mega ports under Ministry of Shipping's Sagarmala project". November 2016.
  38. ↑ "Executive Summary" For Development Of A Greenfield Port At Vadhavan, District –Palghar, Maharashtra (PDF) (Report). Environmental Consultant Enkay Enviro Services Private Limited. Archived (PDF) from the original on 5 April 2024. Retrieved 5 April 2024.
  39. ↑ Kalyanaraman, M. (26 September 2026). "Kandla, JNPA, Mundra, Paradip notified as mega ports". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 27 September 2026.
  40. ↑ "Master plan for Kandla Port" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 1 December 2021.
  41. ↑ "Cargo handling capacity of Major Ports of the country has gone up to 1617.39 Million Tonnes Per Annum (MTPA) as on March 2023". Pib.gov.in. Retrieved 10 May 2024.
  42. ↑ "Operational Details". Indian Ports Association. Retrieved 17 December 2014.
  43. ↑ "Union Cabinet decision: Kutch to get 2 new port terminals at Rs 5,963 crore". 13 October 2022.
  44. ↑ "Operational Performance — Ports". Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone. Retrieved 25 September 2026.
  45. ↑ "Operating Performance Profile". Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority. Retrieved 25 September 2026.
  46. ↑ "South India's Gateway Ports Chennai and Kamarajar Jointly Handle Record 107 MMT Cargo in FY 2025-26". PortWings. Retrieved 25 September 2026.
  47. ↑ "APSEZ and MSC Group deepen long-term partnership; MSC's terminal arm, TiL, to invest in 49% share in Vizhinjam port". Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone. Retrieved 25 September 2026.
  48. ↑ "Handling Statistics — March 2026" (PDF). Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port Authority. Retrieved 25 September 2026.
  49. ↑ "Transforming VOC Port into a seamless multi-modal logistics hub". Indian Chemical News. Retrieved 25 September 2026.
  50. ↑ "Vallarpadam loses transhipment cargo share to newcomer Vizhinjam". The Loadstar. Retrieved 25 September 2026.
  51. ↑ "South India's Gateway Ports Chennai and Kamarajar Jointly Handle Record 107 MMT Cargo in FY 2025-26". PortWings. Retrieved 25 September 2026.
  52. ↑ "Directors' Report — Gujarat Pipavav Port Limited". Gujarat Pipavav Port Limited. Retrieved 25 September 2026.
  53. ↑ "Annual Accounts of Deendayal Port Authority for 2025-26" (PDF). Deendayal Port Authority. Retrieved 25 September 2026.
  54. ↑ "State Maritime Board". sagarmala.gov.in. Retrieved 27 November 2025.
[edit]
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_ports_in_India&oldid=1377800695"