BharatNotes Static GK
Major Ports of India
13 notified major ports (12 operational + Galathea Bay). Key distinctions, legal framework, cargo rankings, Sagarmala 2.0, and exam traps. Updated to April 2026.
Current count: 13 notified major ports — 12 operational + Galathea Bay (notified Sep 2024, under development). Vadhavan Port is under construction but not yet formally notified as a major port (it is a JNPA-led project). The "12 major ports" figure from standard textbooks is now outdated. Legal basis: Major Port Authorities Act, 2021 (governs 12 operational ports); Indian Ports Act, 2025 (governs non-major ports and creates Maritime State Development Council). Total cargo by all major ports in FY 2024-25: 855 million tonnes (4.3% growth, record).
📈 Evolution of Major Port Count
| Year | Count | Key Event |
|---|---|---|
| Long-standing | 12 | Stable figure for decades — the 12 traditional major ports |
| June 2010 | 13 | Port Blair (Andaman) declared 13th major port |
| 2017 | 12 | Port Blair's major port status removed (insufficient container traffic, operationally unviable) |
| September 2024 | 13 | Galathea Bay (Great Nicobar) notified as 13th major port |
Vadhavan note: Vadhavan (Maharashtra) is a major greenfield port project under JNPA's oversight with Cabinet approval (June 2024) and PM Modi groundbreaking (August 2024). It is under construction and not yet formally notified as a major port as of April 2026. Phase 1 target: 2029.
🌊 West Coast Ports (6 operational)
| # | Port | State | Est. (Major Port) | Key Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Deendayal Port (formerly Kandla) | Gujarat | 1955 | Declared major port 8 April 1955 by Lal Bahadur Shastri (then Transport Minister). Renamed after Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay on 25 September 2017. Tidal port on Gulf of Kutch. Largest major port by cargo — 150+ MMT in FY 2024-25. |
| 2 | Mumbai Port | Maharashtra | 1873 | Established 1873. Natural harbour. India's premier port historically; major hub for passenger and cargo traffic. |
| 3 | JNPA (Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority / Nhava Sheva) | Maharashtra | 1989 | Commissioned 1989. India's largest container port — 7.30 million TEUs in FY 2024-25 (record, +13.55% YoY). 53.93% of all major-port container traffic. Also oversees Vadhavan construction. Located south of Mumbai across Thane Creek. |
| 4 | Mormugao Port | Goa | 1963 | Natural harbour. Site operational since 1885 (Portuguese era). Declared major port on 2 December 1963 under Major Port Trusts Act, 1963 (after Goa's liberation in 1961). Known for iron ore exports. |
| 5 | New Mangalore Port | Karnataka | 1974 | Declared 9th major port on 4 May 1974. Formally inaugurated by PM Indira Gandhi on 11 January 1975. |
| 6 | Cochin (Kochi) Port | Kerala | 1936 | Natural harbour — formed naturally in 1341 AD when the Periyar River flooded. Brought under Major Port Trusts Act on 1 August 1936. Nearest major port to the Suez Canal route (~76 nautical miles). Houses ICTT Vallarpadam, India's largest container transshipment terminal. |
Upcoming — Vadhavan Port (Maharashtra): India's first offshore port (built on an artificial island). Cabinet approval 19 June 2024 (cost: ₹76,220 crore). PM Modi groundbreaking 30 August 2024. Planned depth: 20 m (deepest). Package 1A bids (₹17,709 crore) invited August 2025. Phase 1 target: 2029. Not yet notified as a major port.
🌊 East Coast Ports (6 operational)
| # | Port | State | Est. (Major Port) | Key Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | Chennai Port | Tamil Nadu | 1881 | Oldest artificial harbour on India's east coast. Operations began 1881. All-weather port with wet docks. Major automobile export hub. |
| 8 | V.O. Chidambaranar Port (formerly Tuticorin) | Tamil Nadu | 1974 | Declared 10th major port on 11 July 1974. Renamed after freedom fighter V.O. Chidambaranar. Handles salt, fertilisers, and thermal coal. |
| 9 | Kamarajar Port (formerly Ennore) | Tamil Nadu | 1999/2001 | Declared major port March 1999. Only corporatised major port in India — incorporated as a company under Companies Act, not a statutory authority. Commercial operations began 22 June 2001. Located 18 km north of Chennai. Implementing agency for Galathea Bay (ICTP) project. |
| 10 | Visakhapatnam Port (Vizag) | Andhra Pradesh | 1964 | Port opened 7 October 1933; notified as major port 1964. Deepest port among the 12 operational major ports — natural depth 16.5 metres. India's deepest landlocked and protected harbour. |
| 11 | Paradip Port | Odisha | 1966 | Foundation stone by PM Nehru on 3 January 1962. Declared major port 18 April 1966 (8th major port). First major port on East Coast commissioned after Independence. Crossed 150 MMT in FY 2024-25. |
| 12 | Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port (Kolkata + Haldia) | West Bengal | 1870 | Oldest major port in India — established 1870. Only riverine major port — on the Hooghly River (distributary of Ganga), 203 km from the sea. Two dock systems: Kolkata Dock (on Hooghly) + Haldia Dock Complex (opened 1977). Renamed Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port on 12 January 2020 (150th year). |
🏝️ Andaman & Nicobar Islands (1 notified, under development)
| # | Port | Location | Status | Key Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 | Galathea Bay ICTP (International Container Transshipment Port) | Great Nicobar Island, A&N UT | Notified Sep 2024; pre-construction | Notified as 13th major port in September 2024. Located on Great Nicobar Island, ~40 nautical miles from the Malacca Strait. Cost: ~₹44,000 crore. Implementation: Kamarajar Port Ltd. Stage 1 forest clearance obtained. DPR finalised. Tenders for Phase 1 expected shortly. Phase 1 target: 2028 (4 million TEU capacity). Full capacity: 16 million TEUs by 2058. |
📊 Distribution Summary
| Coast / Region | Operational Ports | States/UTs Covered |
|---|---|---|
| West Coast | 6 | Gujarat (1), Maharashtra (2), Goa (1), Karnataka (1), Kerala (1) |
| East Coast | 6 | Tamil Nadu (3), Andhra Pradesh (1), Odisha (1), West Bengal (1) |
| Andaman & Nicobar | 0 operational (Galathea Bay — pre-construction) | A&N Islands UT (1 notified) |
| Total | 13 notified (12 operational) |
State-wise maximum: Tamil Nadu = 3 major ports (Chennai, V.O. Chidambaranar, Kamarajar). Maharashtra = 2 operational (Mumbai, JNPA).
🏆 Key Facts for Quick Recall
| Category | Port | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Oldest major port (overall) | Syama Prasad Mookerjee (Kolkata) | Established 1870 |
| Oldest artificial harbour (East Coast) | Chennai | Operations began 1881 |
| Largest by cargo (major ports, FY24-25) | Deendayal (Kandla) | 150+ MMT. Note: Mundra Port (Adani, private) handles more overall but is NOT a major port under the Act. |
| Busiest container port (major ports) | JNPA (Nhava Sheva) | 7.30 million TEUs in FY 2024-25 (53.93% of all major-port container traffic) |
| Only riverine major port | Syama Prasad Mookerjee (Kolkata) | On Hooghly River (distributary of Ganga), 203 km from sea |
| Only corporatised major port | Kamarajar (Ennore) | Incorporated as a company; all others are statutory Port Authorities |
| Deepest port (operational) | Visakhapatnam | Natural depth 16.5 m — deepest landlocked and protected harbour |
| Future deepest port (under construction) | Vadhavan | Planned depth 20 m — India's first offshore port (artificial island). Phase 1 target: 2029. |
| Natural harbour (most noted) | Cochin (Kochi) | Formed naturally in 1341 AD when Periyar River flooded |
| Nearest port to Suez Canal route | Cochin (Kochi) | ~76 nautical miles from Suez route; 11 nautical miles from Middle East trade route |
| Nearest port to Malacca Strait | Galathea Bay | ~40 nautical miles — strategic transshipment hub on Indo-Pacific lanes |
| First major port on East Coast post-Independence | Paradip | Declared major port 1966; foundation stone by PM Nehru in 1962 |
| Total cargo — FY 2024-25 | 855 million tonnes | +4.3% YoY; H1 FY 2025-26: 437 MT (Apr–Sep 2025, +7.2% YoY) |
⚖️ Legal Framework
Major Port Authorities Act, 2021 (governs 12 major ports)
The Major Port Authorities Act, 2021 (No. 1 of 2021, assented 17 February 2021) replaced the Major Port Trusts Act, 1963. It restructures governance, grants more autonomy, and replaces port trusts with Port Authorities.
| Aspect | Old Act (1963) | New Act (2021) |
|---|---|---|
| Governance body | Large Board of Trustees | Compact Board of Major Port Authority |
| Tariff regulation | Tariff Authority for Major Ports (TAMP) sets rates | Ports fix tariffs per market conditions — TAMP's role removed for major ports |
| Dispute resolution | Partial court jurisdiction | Adjudicatory Board (courts barred from certain disputes) |
| Port entity type | Statutory trust | Autonomous Major Port Authority (statutory body) |
| Legislation size | 134 sections | 76 sections (leaner) |
Indian Ports Act, 2025 (governs non-major ports)
The Indian Ports Act, 2025 was passed by Lok Sabha on 12 August 2025 and Rajya Sabha on 18 August 2025. It replaced the colonial-era Indian Ports Act, 1908.
| Key Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Governing body created | Maritime State Development Council — chaired by Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways; includes all coastal state Ministers |
| New body for states | Mandates State Maritime Boards for all coastal states to manage non-major ports |
| New port classification | Introduces a "mega port" category — ports can be designated as mega ports while retaining existing classification |
| Environmental compliance | Mandates MARPOL and Ballast Water Management Convention compliance |
| Replaced | Indian Ports Act, 1908 (colonial-era legislation) |
🚢 Sagarmala Programme — Key Updates
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Total projects identified | 839 projects worth ₹5.79 lakh crore |
| Completed (as of 19 March 2025, PIB) | 272 projects completed (investment: ~₹1.41 lakh crore); within this, 234 port modernisation projects worth ₹2.91 lakh crore are underway with 103 completed (adding ~230 MTPA capacity); 279 connectivity projects worth ₹2.06 lakh crore being implemented with 92 completed (1,500 km of port links) |
| Headline impact | Coastal shipping grew 118% in a decade; Ro-Pax ferries moved 40+ lakh passengers; inland waterway cargo rose 700%; 9 Indian ports rank in world's top 100 (Vizag in top 20 container ports) |
| Sagarmala 2.0 (announced 19 March 2025) | Budget corpus: ₹40,000 crore government budgetary support. Target private investment: ₹12 lakh crore over the next decade. Focus: Shipbuilding, ship repair, ship recycling, port modernisation, green shipping. |
| Companion schemes (Union Budget FY 2025-26) | ₹25,000 crore Maritime Development Fund (MDF); revamped shipbuilding subsidy; Sagarmala Startup Innovation Initiative (S2I2) |
| Vision | Make India a top shipbuilding nation by 2047 (Viksit Bharat) |
⚠️ Exam Traps
| Trap | Correct Answer |
|---|---|
| How many major ports does India have? | 13 notified (12 operational + Galathea Bay notified Sep 2024, under development). Older books say 12 — outdated. Port Blair was briefly the 13th (2010) but status removed in 2017. Vadhavan is under construction but not yet formally notified as a major port. |
| Which is India's largest port by cargo? | Mundra (Adani) is largest overall — but NOT a major port. Among major ports, Deendayal (Kandla) is the largest by cargo volume. |
| Is Haldia a separate major port? | No. Haldia Dock Complex is part of Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port (Kolkata) — the same major port entity. |
| Which is the only corporatised major port? | Kamarajar Port (Ennore) — incorporated as a company. All other major ports are statutory Port Authorities. |
| Is Chennai Port a natural harbour? | No. Chennai is India's oldest artificial harbour on the East Coast. Cochin (Kochi) is the prominent natural harbour. |
| Which act governs major ports? | Major Port Authorities Act, 2021 (replaced Major Port Trusts Act, 1963). Non-major ports: Indian Ports Act, 2025 (replaced Indian Ports Act, 1908). |
| Where is Galathea Bay? | Great Nicobar Island (southernmost A&N Islands) — NOT near Port Blair (which is on South Andaman Island). Located 40 nautical miles from the Malacca Strait. |
| Is Vadhavan a notified major port? | Not yet (as of April 2026). It is a greenfield project under JNPA oversight, approved by Cabinet (June 2024), under construction. Not yet formally notified as a major port. |
| Kandla was renamed to what and when? | Deendayal Port — renamed on 25 September 2017 after Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay. |
| Kolkata Port was renamed to what and when? | Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port — renamed on 12 January 2020 (150th year). |
| Which is the implementing agency for Galathea Bay? | Kamarajar Port Limited (Ennore) — implementation responsibility transferred to Kamarajar Port from Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port. |
