New Mangalore Port Authority (NMPA) celebrated its 50th anniversary by handling a record 50 million tonnes (mt) of cargo in 2025-26 from 1,467 vessels, with liquid bulk cargo dominating traffic even as container traffic emerges as the next growth area. The port had handled 46.01 mt from 1,421 vessels in 2024-25.
At 60 per cent of the total traffic, liquid bulk cargo continued to anchor the port’s overall cargo handling capacity despite global disruptions and a decline of 4.12 per cent during 2025-26 to 30.26 mt, from 31.55 mt in 2024-25.
Among the liquid bulk cargoes, LPG imports increased by 8.02 per cent, crude oil imports declined by 6.46 per cent, and edible oil imports fell 9.71 per cent during 2025-26.
The war in West Asia had an impact on the port’s liquid bulk cargo handling in March. NMPA handled 2.33 mt of liquid bulk cargo from 52 vessels in March 2026 (3 mt from 73 vessels in March 2025).
Despite the challenges, Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Ltd (MRPL) continued to facilitate liquid bulk handling at the port.
At a maritime seminar held recently in Mangaluru, Nandakumar V Pillai, Director (Refinery), MRPL, said the company’s share of cargo at NMPA was around 23.4 mt from 346 vessels in 2025-26.
S Shanthi, NMPA Deputy Chairperson, acknowledged MRPL’s consistent role in enabling the port to achieve its targets every year, despite multiple pressures.
Dry bulk cargo constituted 33.4 per cent of the total volume. The share of break bulk cargo was 1.15 per cent.
Industry body Kanara Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) wants the authorities to focus on improving the port’s container traffic.
NMPA’s container cargo movement increased to 1.92 lakh TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units) in 2025-26 (1.84 lakh TEUs in 2024-25).
PB Ahmed Mudassar, KCCI President, told businessline that NMPA should target increasing container cargo to 4 lakh TEUs in the next 10 years.
Urging the port to subsidise container freight station charges, he said this could help increase container cargo movement and support businesses across coastal Karnataka and the hinterland.
Published on May 18, 2026