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India’s Major Ports Surge with Record Cargo

Kumari Sonali

India’s Major Ports Surge with Record Cargo:

India’s major ports under the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways handled 915 million tonnes of cargo in FY 2025–26, with 7.06% growth, reflecting efficiency gains under the Maritime Amrit Kaal Vision 2047.

  • Further, integrating Artificial Intelligence (AI) can significantly enhance operational efficiency, logistics optimization, and decision-making, marking the next phase in India’s maritime transformation.

Key Highlights of Port Performance in FY 2025–26:

  • The major ports collectively handled an unprecedented 915.17 million tonnes (MT) of cargo, successfully surpassing the annual target of 904 MT.
  • Top Performers: The top performers included Deendayal Port Authority (160.11 MT), followed by Paradip Port Authority (156.45 MT) and Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority (JNPA) (102.01 MT).
  • Visakhapatnam Port Authority, Mumbai Port Authority, Chennai Port Authority, and New Mangalore Port Authority also registered strong performances.
  • Highest Growth Rates: In terms of growth rate, Mormugao Port Authority, Goa, recorded the highest increase at 15.91%, followed by Kolkata Dock System (14.28%) and JNPA (10.74%).
  • Adoption of smart port and digital initiatives driven by IT and automation, delivering major efficiency gains across operations.
  • National Logistics Portal (Marine) and Maritime Single Window enabling unified trade facilitation from a single platform.
  • Sagar Setu platform and e-Samudra; unified maritime services portal bringing all maritime services under one roof.
  • One-Nation-One-Document (ONOD) and One-Nation-One-Process (ONOP) reforms standardising documentation and eliminating redundant procedures across all port ecosystems including customs, immigration, and health.
  • Processes that were once handled physically are now fully digital, reducing delays, paperwork, and human error.
  • Smart ports are now expected to evolve further into AI-powered intelligent ports as the next phase of transformation.
  • Higher volumes of key commodities such as coal, crude oil, containers, fertilizers, and petroleum, oil, and lubricants (POL) have driven overall cargo growth.
  • Significant gains in turnaround time (from ~4 days in 2013–14 to less than 1 day in 2025) along with enhanced ease of doing business have boosted port performance.
  • Expansion and upgradation of port infrastructure supported by reforms under the Indian Ports Act, 2025 have significantly enhanced cargo handling capacity and operational efficiency.