Major government-administered ports in India handled 915 million tonnes of cargo in FY26, registering a 7.06 per cent growth over the previous year.
The tonnage growth was the result of capacity expansion and efficiency gains, the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways said on Sunday.
Deendayal Port Authority in Kandla overtook Paradip Port to become the top performer and handled 160.11 million tonnes in the last fiscal. Increased volumes of fertilizers, liquid cargo and containers contributed to the growth at Kandla.
Paradip Port Authority handled 156.45 million tonnes in the last fiscal and took the second position. Paradip Port said that despite challenging market conditions like declining exports of iron ore, it saw 4.1 per cent growth in volume and continued to lead among all ports on the eastern coast.
Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority, India’s largest container port, stood third as it handled 102.1 million tonnes.
Other key ports including Visakhapatnam, Mumbai, Chennai and New Mangalore also registered strong performance, contributing to the cargo throughput.
“The record cargo handling of over 915 million tonnes by our major ports is a testament to the government’s unwavering commitment to strengthening India’s maritime sector,” Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal said.
“The sustained growth in cargo handling has been driven by capacity augmentation and modernisation of port infrastructure, strengthened multimodal connectivity and seamless hinterland linkages, adoption of digital and smart port initiatives, increased handling of key commodities including coal, crude oil, containers and fertilizers as well as improved turnaround time and ease of doing business across ports,” the ministry said.
Published on April 5, 2026