Major Ports in India - List of Western & Eastern Coast Ports in India

India's ports are located in its nine coastal states: Kerala, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Goa, Gujarat, West Bengal, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu. The country has a significant coastline that supports 13 major and 185 minor seaports, spanning approximately 5,600 km. Major ports, managed by the Central Government, include Mumbai (India’s largest natural port), Kandla, Mangalore, JNPT, Mormugao, and Cochin on the west coast, while the east coast features Chennai, Tuticorin, Visakhapatnam, Paradip, Kolkata, and Ennore (68% government-owned). Port Blair serves the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Medium and minor ports fall under state administration as per the concurrent list in the Indian Constitution.

 

1. Kolkata Port: Only riverine port in India. Known for twin dock systems viz., Kolkata Dock System (KDS) on the eastern bank and Haldia Dock Complex (HDC) on the western bank of river Hooghly.

1. The only riverine port in India. Known for its twin dock systems: 
2. The Kolkata Dock System (KDS) on the eastern bank and the Haldia Dock Complex (HDC) on the western bank of the Hooghly River. 
3. It is the busiest port in India and a major exporter of steel, iron ore, copper, leather, tea, and coal. 
4. Its long history and strategic position make it a major factor in India's largest ports. 
5. According to India Export Import Data, imported goods include heavy machinery, paper, fertilizers, chemical products, and crude oil. 
6. A natural river port can accommodate ships as long as 500 feet. It normally takes about 0.6 million TEUs each year, placing it fourth.

 

 

2.Paradip Port: Located at the confluence of river Mahanadi in Bay of Bengal in Odisha. It was the first major port on the East Coast commissioned in independent India.

1. Paradip is one of the biggest sea ports in India and the only major port in Odisha. 
2. Biju Patnaik, Odisha's then-chief minister, is credited with creating Paradip Port. 
3. It is located 210 nautical miles south of Kolkata and 260 nautical miles north of Vishakhapatnam on the eastern coast of the Bay of Bengal.

 

3. New Mangalore Port: Located at a site called Panambur in Karnataka at Gurupura river confluence with Arabian Sea.

1. The New Mangalore Port is the west coast's deepest inner harbor. 
2. It is the only significant port in Karnataka and the sixth-largest port in India. 
3. It is operated by the New Mangalore Port Authority (NMPA). 
4. These major ports in India serve the Karnataka and Kerala hinterlands to some extent. 
5. In addition to iron ore, this port exports manganese, granite, coffee, and cashews. Imported commodities include crude and petroleum products, LPG, wood pulp, lumber logs, and other liquid chemicals.

 

4. Cochin Port: Located on the Willingdon Island on the south west coast of India. Located on the cross roads of the east-west Ocean trade. The port is called natural gateway to the vast industrial and agricultural produce markets of the south west India.

1. Cochin Port, also known as Kochi Port, is a major port on the Arabian Water-Laccadive Sea-Indian Ocean water route in the city of Kochi, Ernakulam district, Kerala, and one of the largest ports in India. 
2. Additionally, it is India's first transshipment port. 
3. The Cochin Port is thought to have been formed in AD 1341 as a result of catastrophic flooding in the Periyar River. 
4. During the floods, the then-harbouring Muziris silted up, resulting in a new opening in Cochin. Following that, Cochin became a trading hub that attracted a number of international visitors.

 

5. Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (Nhava Sheva) : It is also known as Nhava Sheva and is the largest container port in India, handling around half of containers of all major ports. It is located on eastern shore of Mumbai harbour off Elephanta Island and is accessed via Thane creek.

1. Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT) at Navi Mumbai: JNPT is India's largest container port, handling more than 55% of the nation's overall container traffic. 
2. Nhava Sheva, commonly known as Jawaharlal Nehru Port, is the biggest port in Maharashtra. 
3. Its strategic location near Mumbai and excellent infrastructure make it an important player in international trade. 
4. The Jawaharlal Nehru Port is one of India's largest and busiest ports.

 

6. Mumbai Port : One of the oldest modern ports of India. It is the largest and most important seaport along the western coast of India.

1. Mumbai Port is regarded as one of India's biggest ports. 
2. Also considered as the Bombay Port Trust. 
3. It was constructed by the British in the 17th century and covers around 400 square kilometers of India. 
4. It is a natural deep-water sea port on the Arabian Sea. 
5. The Mumbai port can handle any form of cargo. As a result, it is widely known as a multi-purpose fund. 
6. This major port has 32 berths and a refueling facility. 
7. The port has rail links to the Central and Western Railways.

 

 

7. Kandla Port : Kandla port was built after partition as the Karachi port on western coast had gone to Pakistan. It is known for handling much of the crude oil imports of India.

1. The Kandla Port, located 90 km from the Gulf of Kutch, was established in the 1950s as India's largest port in the Kandla Creek area. 
2. It is India's major port in terms of revenue and cargo volume handled annually. 
3. The port exports a huge amount of salt and textiles, and it has a cargo capacity of 122.5 million metric tonnes and 0.17 million TEUs. 
4. The port is currently undergoing renovations to improve its handling capacity and surrounding environment.

 

 

8. Vishakhapatnam Port: Vizag port is located in Andhra Pradesh and is known for bulk of Cargo handling on east coast.

1. Visakhapatnam Port, often known as Vizag Port, is located in Visakhapatnam City, Andhra Pradesh. 
2. It is located between the Chennai and Kolkata ports and is one of India's largest ports, making it an important maritime center. 
3. This port is one of the busiest in India or India's largest ports. It handles around 60 million metric tons of goods every year. 
4. Furthermore, Visakhapatnam Port is undergoing a significant expansion to increase cargo handling capacity to 100 million metric tons by 2025.

 

9. Chennai Port: Chennai Port is the largest port in the Bay of Bengal and second largest port of India after JNPT. It is largest port at east coast.

1. Chennai Port, originally Madras Port, is India's second biggest container port and the largest port in the Bay of Bengal. 
2. This artificial port has a long history, having been opened in 1881 and becoming the country's third oldest port. 
3. Chennai Port ranked third among India's major ports in 2023, with more than 1.28 million TEUs. 
4. This port is India's third oldest port, which is exciting! The Port of Chennai, the largest port on the eastern side of the Bay of Bengal, is also known as the Gateway of South India

 

10, Mundra Port, Gujarat (International Sea port in India):

With deep draft berths and multipurpose terminals, the port efficiently handles the largest bulk carriers in the world. The port has covered and open storage areas with enormous capacity. Excellent cargo evacuation and receiving infrastructure, support smooth cargo movement in and out of the port. expertise in successfully handling oversized and overweight project cargo.

1. Mundra Port maintains its remarkable record, handling over 4.49 million TEUs in 2023, cementing its status as India's second largest port. 
2. The Mundra port has a huge advantage over other ports because it is well connected to train routes across India. 
3. In addition, Mundra Airport is undergoing extensive improvements to become an international air freight center.  
4. The port handles 5 million TEUs and 338 million metric tons of cargo.

 

11. Ennore Port: This port is now named as Kamarajar Port Limited. It is first corporate port of India and is registered as a public company with 68% stake held by government.

1. Kamarajar Port Limited, originally Ennore Port, is located on the Coromandel Coast in Chennai, approximately 18 kilometers north of Chennai Port. 
2. The port was designated as a significant port under the Indian Ports Act of 1908 in March 1999 and established as Ennore Port Limited under the Companies Act of 1956 in October 1999. Kamarajar Port is the only major port that has been corporatized and registered as a company. 
3. It is also India's major port and the first to be operated by a public business. 
4. Kamarajar Port Limited is India's major ports that has been corporatized and registered as a business.

 

 

12. Marmagao Port: Marmagao port in Goa is leading iron ore exporting port of India.

1. Mormugao Port, a major port on India's west coast, has served the country's marine trade for 125 years. 
2. It is situated at latitude 15° 25' N and longitude 73° 47' E, between the major ports of New Mangalore and Mumbai. 
3. It became one of the country's major ports in 1964 and has consistently served the nation's economic development. 
4. Mormugao Port, maintained by the Mormugao Port Trust (MPT), now has 11 berths.

 

 

13. Port Blair : It is the 13th and youngest major port of India declared in 2010. The port is of strategic importance to India as it is closer to two international shipping lines viz. Saudi Arabia-Singapore and U.S-Singapore.

1. Port Blair Trust operates a sea port in Andaman and Nicobar. 
2. Located on the Andaman Sea, it is one of India's major ports. 
3. The Port Blair Port Trust runs the port. 
4. With this, Port Blair becomes India's 13th major port and the only significant port in Andaman and Nicobar. Port Blair is well-known for its beautiful beaches, which have crystal-clear waters and a white sandy shoreline. 

 

So, these are the major 13 largest sea ports in India, and they play an important role in transporting significant goods like iron ore, oil, coal, alumina, and pellets. Notably, it handles a significant portion of the country's iron exports, making it a vital hub for trade and commerce.