In India, ports are categorised into major ports and non-major ports (informally called minor ports). As of 2022, there are 12 major ports and 217 non-major ports across the country. Major ports are under the administrative control of the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways of the Government of India, while non-major ports fall under the jurisdiction of State Maritime Boards of respective state governments—this also includes private ports running under the public–private partnership (PPP) model. Among the 217 non-major ports, cargo is handled only at 68 ports, others are used by fishing vessels and ferries.[1] India has a coastline of 7517 kilometres, 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.[2]
Port Blair which was notified as major port in 2010 was removed later. The ports are spread across Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Andhra Pradesh, Goa, Gujarat, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Odisha, Puducherry, Tamil Nadu, and West Bengal.[3] 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,[4] and National Maritime Development Programme.[5]
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.[6] Maharashtra Maritime Board sets record of handling 71 mn tons of cargo in 2022–23.[7]
The capacity of Indian ports currently stands at 2,604.99 mtpa.[8] The container throughput of Indian ports stood at 17 million TEUs for the period 2020.[9]
, 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.[10] India's Alang-Sosiya Ship Breaking Yard is world's largest ships' graveyard.[10] Other ship graveyards in India is the Steel Industrials Kerala Limited breaking unit.[11]
The port's under central Government of india are known as Major port and other ports in India are classified as minor ports.The following are the major ports of India:[12] [13]
| No. | Name | Estb. Year | Image | Area(km^2) | City | State | Cargo handled in MTPA (FY2022-23) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chennai Port | 1881 | Chennai | Tamil Nadu | 51.88 | |||
| 2 | Cochin Port | 1928 | Kochi | Kerala | 37.34 | |||
| 3 | Deendayal Port | 1965 | 900.83km2[14] | Kandla | Gujarat | 129.10[15] | ||
| 4 | Jawaharlal Nehru Port | 1988 | 33.7 km2 | Navi Mumbai | Maharashtra | 85.37 | ||
| 5 | Kamarajar Port | 2001 | Ennore | Tamil Nadu | 11.08 | |||
| 6 | Mormugao Port | 1985 | Mormugao | Goa | 19.5 | |||
| 7 | Mumbai Port | 1873 | Mumbai | Maharashtra | 64 | |||
| 8 | New Mangalore Port | 1974 | 8.22 km2 | Mangaluru | Karnataka | 45.90 | ||
| 9 | Paradip Port | 1966 | 25.44 km2 | Paradeep | Odisha | 148.75[16] | ||
| 10 | Kolkata Port Trust | 1977 | 25.77 km2 | Haldia | West Bengal | 107.77 | ||
| 11 | Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port | 1870 | Kolkata | West Bengal | 66.4 | |||
| 12 | Visakhapatnam Port | 1933 | Visakhapatnam | Andhra Pradesh | 67.43 | |||
| 13 | V. O. Chidambaranar Port | 1974 | 2.428 km2 | Thoothukkudi | Tamil Nadu | 52.33 |
| No. | Name of the Port | Estb. Year | Image | City | State | Ownership | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mundra Port | 1998 | Mundra | Gujarat | Adani Group | ||
| 2 | Karaikal Port | 2009 | Karaikal | Puducherry | |||
| 3 | JSW Jaigad Port | 2006 | Ratnagiri district | Maharashtra | |||
| 4 | Krishnapatnam Port | 2008 | Krishnapatnam | Andhra Pradesh | Adani Group | ||
| 5 | JSW Dharamtar Port | 2012 | Alibag | Maharastra | |||
| 6 | Hazira Port | 2013 | Hazira | Gujarat | |||
| 7 | Dighi Port | 2000 | Raigad district | Maharashtra | |||
| 8 | Dhamra Port | 2011 | Bhadrak district | Odisha | |||
| 9 | Gopalpur port | 2013 | Chhatrapur | Odisha | |||
| 10 | Gangavaram Port | 2009 | Visakhapatnam | Andhra Pradesh | |||
| 11 | Kattupalli Port | 2012 | Kattupalli | Tamil Nadu | |||
| 12 | Dahej Port | 2010 | Bharuch district | Gujarat | |||
| 13 | Kakinada Port | 1999 | East Godavari | Andhra Pradesh | Aurobindo Group | ||
| 14 | Tuna Port | 2022[17] | Tuna | Gujarat | |||
| 15 | Port Pipavav | 2002 | Pipavav | Gujarat | |||
| 16 | Vizhinjam International Seaport Thiruvananthapuram | 2024 | Thiruvananthapuram | Kerala | Kerala Government & run by Adani Group |