India’s ports and shipping industry play an essential role in sustaining its trade and commercial growth. The 13 major ports in India handle a lot of container and freight traffic volume. As such, they boost India’s tourism and foreign exchange, thereby improving revenue growth and employment. 

13 Major Ports in India

All ports in India are located in states along the coastline, such as Maharashtra, Gujarat, and Odisha. There are 13 large and 185 small ports on the 5,600 km coastline. 

The central government manages the major ports in India, but moderate ports are included in the concession’s simultaneous list and are managed by their respective states. 

The 13 major ports in India are listed below:

  • Visakhapatnam Port: Visakhapatnam Port is located in Andhra Pradesh and is known for most of the cargo handling on the East Coast.
  • Port Blair: It is the youngest major port of India, declared in 2010. The port is of strategic significance to India as it’s miles nearer to worldwide transport, viz. Saudi Arabia-Singapore and U.S-Singapore.
  • Kolkata Port: It is located on the banks of the Hooghly River, 128 km from the Bay of Bengal. This port mainly deals with trade with Australia and Southeast Asian countries. The Port of Kolkata is also known as the “Gateway to East India”, the only port with two docks, the Kolkata Dock and the Haldia Dock. This port mainly imports machinery, crude oil, and fertilisers.
  • Port of Ennore: It is 24 km from Chennai Port on the Coromandel Coast. It is the largest exporter of coal. It processes about 16 million tonnes of coal annually and is one of India’s privately owned ports.
  • Paradeep Port: Paradeep Port in Orissa is India’s main deep-sea port. It is a very deep harbour and can handle heavy and bulky containers. This port has its own railroad for transporting goods. This port mainly deals with the trade of coal and iron ore.
  • Chennai Port: It is also known as Madras Port and is India’s second-busiest port. The port began operations in 1881 and is the third-oldest port in India. It aims to expand its cargo handling to nearly 140 million. It has historical significance.
  • Jawaharlal Nehru Port: The Jawaharlal Nehru Port, also called Nhava Sheva, is the largest container port in India. It is located in eastern Mumbai, Maharashtra. The name Nhava Sheva comes from the names of the two villages that existed in the area. It is fully controlled by the Government of India. 
  • Mormugao Port: The port of Mormugao is the main port of Goa and plays a pivotal role in the state’s business. It is India’s major iron ore exporter, exporting tonnes of iron ore each year. 
  • Tuticorin Port: It is an artificial harbour in the Gulf of Mannar. It is also known as Pearl City because it is famous for collecting pearls in the Bay of Bengal. This port deals in the trade of coal, salt, petroleum products, and fertilisers.
  • Kandla Port: The Diendayal Port Trust in Kandla is a port and town in the Kutch district of Gujarat in western India, near the city of Gandhidham. It is one of the most important ports on the West Coast. It is also known as the Tide Port. It also alleviates congestion at Mumbai Port, which is the largest port in terms of cargo volume. 
  • Cochin Port: Cochin Port is a major port in the Arab Sea. It is one of the largest ports and the first envelope terminal in India. The harbour is on the two islands of Kochi Lake. Cochin Port is generally called a natural entrance for industrial and agricultural markets in southwest India. This port deals in the export of spices, tea, and coffee. 
  • Mangalore Port: It is positioned at the Gurupura River’s confluence with the Arabian Sea at Panambur, Karnataka. The port started modestly, supplying lodging for little boats. However, after the Fourth Five Year Plan, it became extended to house large ships. This port deals in the trade of tea, coffee, oil, fish, rubber, crude oil, and fertilisers.
  • Mumbai Port: Mumbai is home to India’s largest port in terms of size and shipping volume. This natural harbour is 1012 metres deep, making it easy to dock and transport large cargo ships. The Mumbai Port handles 20% of foreign trade and is essential to India’s economy. Four piers control multiple imports and exports, including manganese, crude oil, petroleum, textiles, tobacco, liquid chemicals, leather, and heavy machinery.

Conclusion

India is the 16th largest sea country in the world, with a large number of ports situated on its coastline. The country’s 13 major ports handle large volumes of container and freight traffic. Although Mumbai Port is the largest port in India, all the ports are of strategic significance to India’s economy.