Major Ports in India

India’s geographical terrain comprises a diverse set of features that form the country’s overall land area. The significant landforms can be divided into the following five types – the Indo-Gangetic plains, the plateaus, the thar deserts, the northern mountains, the coastal areas, and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The peninsular nature of the mainland forms the shape of an inverted triangle, with three significant sides of the country being surrounded by water. This forms the coastlines of India and is the house of 13 major ports in India that are considered necessary from the perspective of travelling and trade. This article contains an overview of the major ports of India. 

What are Ports?

Ports are man-made rest spaces for ships and boats constructed on the coastlines of either a sea, a river or an ocean. These are responsible for the loading and unloading of cargo and passengers coming to these ports. The coastline of India stretches to a length of 7516.6 km, running across the Bay of Bengal in the East, the Indian Ocean in the South and the Arabian Sea in the West of the country. Ports can be broadly divided into cargo ports and passenger ports. Cargo ports are mostly used for commercial trading. On the other hand, passenger ports are places where passenger ships are contained.

Major Ports in India

There are 13 major ports in India situated on the country’s coastlines. These are listed as follows:

Haldia Port (West Bengal)

The Haldia Port was built in 1967, and since then, it has been a significant base for India’s Coast Guard. It primarily deals in cargo, and large ships are harboured in this port. It is situated at the meeting point of the Haldi and Hooghly rivers in West Bengal. 

Paradip Port (Odisha)

Paradip Port is situated on the Eastern coastline of India in the state of Odisha. It was established in 1962. Along with cargo transportation, it is a significant site for tourist attraction because of its picturesque landscapes of sea, beaches and the forests located in the Mahanadi river estuary. 

Visakhapatnam Port (Andhra Pradesh)

Visakhapatnam Port is another one of the 13 major ports in India. Opened for usage in 1933, it is located on the coastlines of Andhra Pradesh. Visakhapatnam port is the largest port on the eastern coastline of the country and the 3rd largest port in India. It mainly deals with the trade and transportation of coal, iron ore, coke etc. 

Kamarajar or Ennore Port (Tamil Nadu)

The Ennore Port of Tamil Nadu was renamed the Kamarajar Port in 2014. This is the only port in the country listed as a company under the name of ‘Kamarajar Port Limited. It deals in cargo and is located on the coromandel coast of the eastern coastline of India. Kamarajar port looks after coal, automobiles, limestone, and more trading vessels. 

Chennai Port (Tamil Nadu)

Chennai port is the second largest of the major ports in India and is also known as the gateway of the south. It was formerly known as Madras Port. It is located in the capital city of Chennai, along the eastern coastlines. Chennai Port is responsible for the dealings of millions of tonnes of cargo and consignment. 

Tuticorin Port (Tamil Nadu)

VO Chidambaranar Port, also known as the port of Thoothukudi, is the second-largest port in Tamil Nadu and one of the major ports in India. Opened in 1974, it is a significant site for pearl trading because of the city’s commercial dealings in pearl fishing. 

Port Blair (Andaman and Nicobar Islands)

Port Blair is one of the 13 major ports in India and is located on the coast of the South Andaman district in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. It is one of the natural harbour ports of the country and is significant in terms of being closer to the international shipping lines. 

Cochin Port (Kerala)

The Cochin Port, also known as Koichi port, is located in Kerala. It is based on the coast of the Arabian sea. The port enjoys various advantages in the form of a natural harbour with favourable climatic conditions, strong connections with the highways, airways and more. 

New Mangalore Port (Karnataka)

Also known as the gateway of Karnataka, the New Mangalore Port is one of the 13 major ports of India. It was opened in 1974 and is the 7th largest port. It is the deepest inner harbour situated on the western coastline of India. 

Mormugao Port (Goa)

Being one of the natural harbour ports of the country, the mormugao port is located in the state of Goa. It deals mainly with the trade and transportation of iron ore and coal. It is the leading exporter of the former.

Jawaharlal Nehru Port (Maharashtra)

Jawaharlal Nehru Port is the largest container port in the country. It is located on the coastlines of Maharashtra and is also known as the Nhava Sheva port. It was established in 1989 and is a significant spot of international trade.

Mumbai Port (Maharashtra)

Mumbai Port is also known as the Bombay port. Compared to Jawaharlal Nehru Port, Mumbai port deals in cargo. It is also the site for the Gateway of India and hence, is considered extremely important in the rise of Mumbai as a commercial centre. Bombay port mainly comprises trade in petroleum, cotton, chemicals, yarn etc. 

Kandla Port (Gujrat)

Established in the mid-19th century, the Kandla port is an important commercial port located on the gulf of kutch along the western coastlines of India. It is a tidal port, and the Indian government established it to reduce trade weight in the Mumbai port. 

Conclusion

Ports are man-made rest spaces for ships and boats constructed on the coastlines of water bodies for trade or travelling and are often used as a sight of recreation. There are 13 major ports in India. We have Haldia, Paradip, Visakhapatnam, Kamarajar, Chennai, Tuticorin, and Port Blair along the eastern coastline. We have Cochin, New Mangalore, Mormugao, Jawaharlal Nehru, Kandla, and Mumbai ports along the western coast. India having major ports is of economic advantage to the nation and supports the country’s overall development.