India’s coastline is over 7,500 km long. It comes as no surprise that 95% of India’s trade is done via sea transport. There are 13 main seaports in the country and over 180 smaller ones. This article presents the largest ports in India – the top 7 ports by annual throughput.
The largest ports in India
7. Mumbai Port (INBOM), Maharashtra
Mumbai Port (Bombay Port) is located on the west coast of India. As it began operations in 1873, it is the second oldest port in India. Moreover, it is India’s largest natural port. It has a deep-water harbor with many berths and terminals.
It handles a wide range of cargo:
- containers
- bulk cargo
- liquid cargo
- and more.
Mumbai Port is served by an extensive network of rail and road links.
Mumbai Port annual throughput in 2022: 62 million tons
6. Visakhapatnam Port (INVTZ), Andhra Pradesh
The Visakhapatnam Port was established in 1933 and is located in Andhra Pradesh on the east coast. In the 1600s, it was the base for a branch of the East India Company. Now it is home to the largest shipyard in India, Hindustan Shipyard Limited. The port is divided into three harbors and handles mostly:
- containers
- coal
- iron ore
- petroleum products.
Visakhapatnam Port annual throughput in 2022: 63 million tons
5. Haldia Port (INHAL), West Bengal
Haldia Port was established in 1967 in West Bengal. It is one of the busiest and most important ports in India. The port handles about 80% of India’s international trade. The port has a dock system with 12 berths. It can handle a wide range of cargo:
- vehicles (ro-ro facilities)
- containers
- coal
- iron ore
- break bulk
- livestock.
Haldia Port annual throughput in 2022: 65 million tons
4. Jawaharlal Nehru Port/Nhava Sheva (INNSA), Maharashtra
Jawaharlal Nehru Port is the largest container port in India and one of the top 30 ports in the world. It is located on the west coast and processes about half of the container cargo in India. It was established in 1989 as a satellite port. The Nhava Sheva port has five container terminals. It handles:
- automobiles
- containers
- other types of cargo.
The Jawaharlal Nehru Port is well-connected by rail and road to Mumbai.
Jawaharlal Nehru Port annual throughput in 2022: 75 million tons
3. Paradip Port (INPRT), Odisha
Paradip Port is located on the east coast of the Bay of Bengal. It is India’s deepest port. The year of establishment is 1966. Its main objective is coal export. The port has 14 berths and facilities to handle:
- containers
- bulk commodities
- break bulk
- iron ore
- and more.
The port is connected to the railway system and state highway.
Paradip Port annual throughput in 2022: 135 million tons
2. Deendayal Port / Kandla Port (INIXY), Gujarat
Deendayal/Kandla Port is a major West India seaport established in 1965. Its primary purpose is to handle trade with Pakistan and the Middle East. It handles a wide range of cargo, such as:
- petroleum products
- chemicals, fertilizers
- grains
- minerals
- containerized
- general.
Deendayal Port is connected to a rail network and has a dedicated container terminal for transshipment.
Deendayal Port annual throughput in 2022: 137 million tons
1. The biggest port in India, Mundra Port (INMUN), Gujarat
Mundra Port is located on the northwest coast of India. It was established in 1998. It is the only major private port in India and accounts for 24% of India’s port capacity. Mundra Port’s capacity is 60 million tons per year. It has the world’s largest coal import terminal (40 million tons annually).
The port handles a variety of cargo, such as:
- containers (1.5 million TEUs per year, 6 berths)
- dry bulk (10 berths)
- liquid bulk (3 berths)
- break bulk.
Moreover, it is the only seaport in India that has a direct rail link to the hinterland.
Mundra Port annual throughput in 2022: 150 million tons
The largest ports in India
India’s merchant fleet is one of the largest in the world. India’s top ports play a vital role in its economy. We hope that presenting profiles of each port will help you choose your port of origin/destination for your shipment.
