India has 13 significant seaports(12 Government-owned and one private) and more than 180 lesser ports that handle a considerable volume of traffic. One of India's most prominent natural ports is operated by the Mumbai Port Trust, formerly Bombay Port Trust. Six of India's 12 government-owned essential ports are on the country's western coastline, and the other six are on its eastern coast. There are 13 major ports in India.

Major Ports in India are among the most critical topics for the UPSC IAS exam. It covers a significant part of the geography subject in the Mains General Studies Paper-1 syllabus and General Studies Paper-1 of the UPSC Prelims Syllabus.

In this article, we shall discuss the list of Major Ports in India, their location, and their characteristics, which will be very useful in the UPSC Preliminary and mains Exam.

List Of 13 Major Ports in India

Here is a list of major ports in India along with the state in which they are located.

Major Ports in India Map

India, being a peninsula, is very rich in coastal regions. India has 6100 km of primary coastline, making up roughly 7500 km of overall coastline. There are numerous natural, artificial, and tidal ports in these coastal regions, which are spread across India’s nine coastal states. Of these, 13 major, 200 intermediate, and minor ports help with sea transportation and manage a significant amount of traffic and sea trades.

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Major Sea Ports in India On the Eastern Coast

• The Eastern coastal plains of India lie between the Eastern Ghats and the Bay of Bengal. It extends through Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Orissa, and West Bengal.
• It is further divided into three coasts – the Coromandel coast, the Andhra coast, and the Utkal coast.
• The major ports of India located in the Eastern Coastal plains are as follows.
  • Kolkata Port
  • Paradip Port
  • Visakhapatnam Port
  • Kamarajar Port
  • Chennai Port
  • Tuticorin Port

Kolkata Port

• The Kolkata port, officially known as the Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port, is in Kolkata, West Bengal.
• The Kolkata port is the oldest in the Country. The British East India Company constructed it and played a crucial role in trading during the colonial period.
• Among the 12 major ports of India, it is the only riverine port, and ships up to a length of 500 feet can be accommodated comfortably here.
• This port has a twin dock system – Haldia dock and Kolkata dock. The Haldia dock is located on the Western bank of River Hooghly whereas the Kolkata dock is on the Eastern bank of River Hooghly.
• It is one of the busiest essential ports in India, and it is a major exporter of iron ore, leather, coal, copper, steel, and tea.

Paradip Port

• Paradip port is located in the Jagatsinghpur district of Odisha, the only major port in Odisha.
• It is constructed at the confluence of River Mahanadi and the Bay of Bengal.
• In 1966, it was declared the eighth major port of India, and it was the first major port on the east coast of India to be commissioned after independence.
• Iron ore and coal are the components that are majorly transported at this port.

Visakhapatnam Port

• Visakhapatnam port, also known as the Vizag port, is located in the city of Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh. It is between the Chennai port and Kolkata port.
• It is a natural harbor port and one of the country's oldest ports.
•  It is the most profound and safest landlocked port in India.
• Regarding cargo handling, Vizag port is the second largest port in the country.
• The port consists of three harbors – inner harbor, outer harbour and fishing harbour.
• Iron ore, oil, coal, alumina, and pellets are some of the major goods which are transported in the Vizag port. Most of the iron export of the country is handled here.

Kamarajar Port (Ennore Port)

• Kamarajar Port, formerly the Ennore port, is 24km north of Chennai port.
• It is the first corporate port in India and is the only corporatized major port in India. It was declared the 12th major port of the country.
• This port is registered as a public company, and the Government of India owns 67% of its stake.
• Coal is being transported at a large scale in Kamarajar port. It also deals with iron ore, petroleum products, etc.

Chennai Port

• The Chennai port, earlier known as Madras Port, is the second largest container port in the country and is credited as the largest port in the Bay of Bengal.
• It is an artificial port. It was opened in 1881, which makes it the third oldest port in India.
• In 1983, it was made the first dedicated container terminal in India.
• Goods such as automobiles, iron ore, coal, granite, petroleum products, and fertilizers are traded on a large scale at this port.

Tuticorin Port

• The Tuticorin port, also known as the V.O.Chidambaranar port, is located in the Thoothukudi district of Tamil Nadu.
• It is the fourth-largest container terminal in the country and the second-largest port in Tamil Nadu.
• It is an artificial port that mainly trades goods to and from Sri Lanka.
• On completion of the Sethusamudram shipping canal project, which intends to create a shipping route in the shallow straits between India and Sri Lanka, the Tuticorin port will become the premier port of India.
• This port is known for its pearl fishery in the Bay of Bengal.
• Goods such as coal, oil, sugar, salt, petroleum products, etc., are traded at this port.

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Major Sea Ports in India on the Western Coast

• The Western coastal plains of India extend from Gujarat in the North to Kerala in the South, passing through the states of Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Goa. It lies between the Western Ghats and the Arabian Sea.
• It is further divided into four coasts:
  • Kachchh and Kathiawar coast,
  • Konkan coast,
  • Kanara coast and,
  • Malabar coast.
• The major ports located on the western coasts of India are as follows.
  • Kandla Port
  • Jawaharlal Nehru Port
  • Mumbai Port
  • Mormugao Port
  • New Mangalore Port
  • Cochin Port

Kandla Port

• The Kandla Port, known as Deendayal port, is located in the Kutch district of Gujarat. It is situated 90km away from the Gulf of Kutch.
• Based on the volume of cargo handled, Kandla port is the largest port in India. It is also one of the busiest ports in the country.
• Kandla port has been declared a trade-free zone.
• Food grains and oils are exported and imported in large quantities at this port, respectively. Additionally, machinery, petroleum products, salts, chemicals, and textiles are handled at this port.

Jawaharlal Nehru Port

• Jawaharlal Nehru port is also known as the Nhava Sheva Port. It is located in the Raigad district (Navi Mumbai) of Maharashtra.
• It is India's largest container handling port and takes about 56% of containers in the country. It is one of the busiest seaports.
• Goods such as textiles, boneless meats, carpets, pharmaceuticals, machinery, chemicals, and vegetable oils are transported via this port.
• The Western dedicated freight corridor, constructed by the Indian Railways, is located in this port.

Mumbai Port

• The Mumbai port, or Bombay port, is located in Maharashtra. It is a natural port.
• It is the largest port in India and one of the country's oldest ports.
• Mumbai port is the busiest port in the country, handling about one-fifth of the country’s total export.
• Jawahar Dweep is an island in the harbor with four jetties (a long narrow structure protecting the coastline from tides and currents) to handle crude and petroleum products.
• It has three dock facilities – Prince’s, Victoria, and Indira.

Mormugao Port

• Mormugao port is located in the estuaries of River Juari in the state of Goa.
• Mormugao port is one of the tourist destinations of Goa.
• This port is the leading iron ore export port in India. Apart from iron ore, goods such as cotton, manganese, and coconut are handled at this port.

New Mangalore Port

• The New Mangalore port is situated at Mangalore in Karnataka. It is located at the confluence of River Gurupura and the Arabian Sea.
• It is the country's seventh largest port and the only major port located in Karnataka State. It is also the deepest inner harbor port on India’s Eastern coast.
• Petroleum products, LPG, fertilizers, and iron ore are some of the products handled at this port.

Cochin Port

• The Cochin port, also known as the Kochi port, is situated between Willingdon island and Vallarpadam island in the Lake of Kochi.
• The International Container Transshipment Terminal, also known as Vallarpadam terminal, was the first transhipment terminal in India and the largest container shipment facility in the country. This facility is a part of the Cochin port.
• It is one of the largest ports in the country and also one of the shipbuilding centers in India.
• The Kochi port mainly deals with importing and exporting coffee, tea, spices, salts, fertilizers, etc.

Port Blair

• Port Blair Trust is a seaport in Andaman and Nicobar.
• Located on the Andaman Sea, it is one of the major ports in India.
• Port Blair Port Trust operates the port. With this, Port Blair becomes the 13th major port in India and the only major port in Andaman and Nicobar.

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States with the Majority of Ports in India

The nine coastal states of India viz. Kerala, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Goa, Gujarat, West Bengal, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu are home to the country’s ports.

• Tamil Nadu has three major ports and tops the list of Indian states with the most important ports. The three main ports in this state are Chennai Port, Kamarajar Port, and V. O. Chidambaranar Port Trust.
• By taking both the primary and intermediate ports in the country into consideration, Maharashtra stands at the top, with Gujarat at the second position; next comes Tamil Nadu and is followed by Karnataka.

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Private Ports in India

• Major ports held by the government for a long time had complete control over India’s maritime trade. A new era for the nation’s port industry began when a partnership led by P&O Australia (now DP World) began trialing a container terminal at Jawaharlal Nehru Port (JNP) in Mumbai. 
• The primary container handling port in India, JNP, now has three container terminals, of which private companies run two.
• Nearly 85–90% of India’s EXIM trade went through the ports the state-operated up until the turn of the last century. Private docks are more significant in India’s EXIM commerce than container freight. Even in the area of bulk cargo, their contribution is constantly increasing. 
• Unfortunately, these ports were noted for their congested roads, poor cargo clearance, outdated machinery, handling techniques, labor problems, lethargic decision-making, etc.
• To address some of these issues, the central government decided to start private engagement in the major ports just after the liberalization measures of the early 1990s. As a result, instead of handling just 10–15% of all EXIM cargo handled by India at the beginning of the millennium, private companies now take more than 50% of the business.

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Mundra Port – The Largest Private Port in India

The Port of Mundra is a special economic zone and India’s biggest private port. It was formed in 1998 under Gujarat Adani Port Limited (GAPL) and commenced operations in 2001. Mundra Port and Special Economic Zone Limited was the new name of the combined firm.

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Important Facts about Major Ports in India for UPSC

Busiest Port in India

Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT) / Nhava Sheva port, Maharashtra

• The Ministry of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways have reported that around 95% of the country’s trade volume and 65% of the country’s trade value is carried out via maritime transport. Thus these 12 important ports, along with the minor ports in India, play a significant role in the country’s overall trade and growth.
• Out of the total cargo that is being handled in Indian ports, 54% of it is dealt with in the 12 major ports of India.
• In 2015, the Government of India initiated the Sagarmala project to promote port-led development. Modernization of existing ports, development of new ports, enhancement of the port connectivity, and port-linked industrialisation are some of the significant components of this project.
• Of the 13 Government-owned Major Ports in India, 12 are owned by the Government of India, whereas the Ennore port of Chennai is privately owned.

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Importance of Ports in India

Given that it is a simple, affordable, and energy-efficient method of importing and exporting heavy goods, water transportation is significant to the Indian economy.

• Ports are crucial for domestic trade in addition to international trade. Several rivers connect important ports. These rivers transport important items from ports to the hinterland, facilitating their internal transportation.
• India’s blue economy, which is expected to contribute 4% to GDP, supports 95% of the nation’s business through transportation.
• India is also one of the top 5 nations in the world that produce fish through aquaculture.
• The expansion of India’s coasts, which are home to a number of vital sites like military bases, nuclear power plants, and missile and satellite launch pads, would be brought on by port development.
• Effective port resource management would stop illicit practices like drug trafficking and guarantee the Sea Lanes of Communication (SLOC) security.

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Government Initiatives Pertaining India’s Ports

The Government of India has brought in many initiatives to enhance the Indian ports sector, thereby promoting port-led growth in the nation.

• The Maritime Agenda was introduced to put Indian ports on par with those overseas. A total of 352 ports have been chosen to function as essential ports.
• The government plans to create a single regulatory body, the Major Ports Regulatory Authority, to deal with the problem of port tariffs. This body will be responsible for developing standards and a process for determining prices for services offered at port terminals. Once the Ports Regulatory Authority Bill, 2011, is implemented, this single regulator will be established.
• The implementation of the captive port policy, under which the government will grant private businesses captive berths at major ports so they can use these infrastructures solely for their commodities.
• The government is currently providing a special tax incentive for investments through a ten-year tax break to businesses that develop, operate, or maintain ports, inland waterways, and inland ports to promote investment prospects in the port sector.
• To build and maintain ports and harbors, the government has approved 100% FDI using the automatic route to bring in foreign capital.
• The Ministry of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways’ main initiative to support port-led growth in the nation is named the Sagarmala Programme. For execution between 2015 and 2035 in all coastal states on the Eastern and Western sides, more than 800 projects with a projected cost of over Rs. 5.5 lakh crore have been identified as part of the Sagarmala Programme.

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