India is the major hub of maritime trade and it is surrounded by three sides of the water, the Bay of Bengal in the east, and Arabian sea in the west, and the Indian Ocean in the south. It is 7,517 kilometers of coastline which makes it the 16th largest maritime country. and it ranks 18th in terms of Global shipping tonnage, tonnage means it is a measure of a ship’s cargo-carrying capacity. India has 12 major and more than 200 non-major ports. I will explain the 10 busiest ports in India.
1.Mundra Port, Gujarat– Mundra is owned and operated by Adani Port and Special Economic Zone Limited, India’s largest port operator accounts for 24% of the country’s port capacity. The Mundra port is located on India’s west coast, Mundra provides road and rail connectivity to the country’s northern hinterland and also offers connectivity with some international ports. The port also has the world’s largest coal import terminal with a capacity of 40 million tonnes annually. Mundra port is also known as India’s largest private port, India’s largest commercial port, and largest coal import terminal.
2.Deendayal Port (Kandla), Gujarat– Deendayal port is also known as India’s biggest container port by cargo volume. It is just 75 kilometers from Mundra is Gujarat’s next big port and India’s second-busiest Deendayal Port, earlier it is called Kandla Port because it is situated in Kandla Creek and protected by a natural harbor. This port is one of the four Indian ports to be named after important persons. The port is named after Deendayal Upadhyaya, who was a political leader. Deendayal Port was established in the 1950s, the mainstay of Deendayal Port is crude oil imported for Essar Oil’s Vadinar refinery. Major exports include oil, grain, textiles, and salt.
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3.Paradip Port, Odisha– Paradip Port is the only major port in Odisha and a key port of departure for the state’s exports, especially coal. The port is situated on the Bay of Bengal on India’s east coast. The port in the year 2022 gained the rank to become India’s top port in terms of volume. The Paradip port houses 14 berths and a great depth makes it perfect for handling bulk cargo such as iron ore and coal, although it also deals in containerized cargo. The port is also Known as India’s first major post-Independence port on the East Coast.
4.Visakhapatnam Port, Andhra Pradesh- this port is located on the east coast, Visakhapatnam Port lies off the coast of Andhra Pradesh and also lies between Kolkata and Chennai. Visakhapatnam is also called Vizag a short name and is a historic port city with trade links to the Middle East and ancient Rome. Previously, this port served as a base for a branch of the East India Company in the 1600s as well as a military base during World War II. The port is lying within a natural harbour, Visakhapatnam is India’s deepest landlocked port means this is encircled by land with an opening to the sea. The port has 26 berths and is the deepest container terminal among all of India’s major ports. The Vizag Port serves the country’s central and southern hinterlands and major industries such as power, fertilizers, steel, petroleum, and mining. It is also known as India’s deepest landlocked port, and India’s oldest shipyard.
5.Jawaharlal Nehru Port, Maharashtra– the Jawaharlal Nehru (JLN) Port is India’s top container port with the connectivity to 200 international ports. It has steadily topped the list of India’s busiest ports in recent years but it lost its position last financial year. The JLN port is on the eastern shore of the financial capital Mumbai, JLN port is also known as Nhava Sheva, named after two villages situated in that area. The port is also known as India’s largest container port, India’s top container port, and India’s largest artificial port.
6.Mumbai Port, Maharashtra- Mumbai Port is India’s second oldest port after Kolkata, this port initially started in 1873. It is also India’s largest port by size which is spread over a 46.3-hectare area with a pier length touching 8,000 km. the Mumbai Port has one of the best locations for an Indian sea port. The deep natural harbour makes Mumbai India’s largest natural port. Mumbai is a multi-purpose port; it can handle all types of cargo. It has 32 berths with re-fuelling facilities in all berthing areas. Even has its own railway system, which is connected to two arms of the national railway network which are the Central Railways and Western Railways. The port also has sought-after road connectivity.
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7.Haldia Port, West Bengal– Haldia Port also called the Haldia Dock Complex which is India’s fourth biggest port. It lies at the junction of the Hooghly and Haldi rivers and is located 50 kilometers southwest of the state capital Kolkata and 90 kilometers upstream from the Bay of Bengal. Due to its brilliant location, this port serves a large hinterland consists West Bengal, Jharkhand, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, and the northeastern states. Additionally, it is the main gateway to neighboring countries Nepal and Bhutan, as well as the Tibetan Autonomous Region.
8.New Mangalore Port, Karnataka- New Mangalore Port is located in Panambur, Karnataka. It is the 9th largest seaport in India in cargo handling. The port handled estimated 60.6 million tons of cargo in the year 2018 and 2019. The port has total of 18 berths with a length of 2,200m. The port is fully functional and handles containers, coal, and iron ore. The New Mangalore Port is the only major seaport in the south Indian state of Karnataka. The Major exports of New Mangalore Port include petroleum products, iron ore pellets, and containerized cargo. Coal, fertilizers, Crude oil, cement, and liquid chemicals consists the major imports. New Mangalore is also a solar-powered port.
9.VO Chidambaranar Port (Tuticorin), Tamil Nadu– Tuticorin was a historic seaport dating back to the 6th century. It mostly traded pearls and fishery products. Today, this port serves the cargo ships from different countries like Europe, Sri Lanka, China, and the United States. Its main imports are coke, coal, petroleum, cement, fertilizers, and edible oils. The major exports are including ores, granite, sugar, minerals, liquid cargo, and building material. Like the ports of New Mangalore, Chennai, VO Chidambaranar Port also has a cruise terminal. The port is a location in the Gulf of Mannar which makes it a naturally sheltered port, with the existence of two artificial offshore structures.
10. Chennai Port, Tamil Nadu– the Chennai Port located in the Southern city of Chennai is the 3rd oldest port in India which was established in 1881. The port is the largest port in the Bay of Bengal and is also known as the Gateway of South India. However, Chennai is the major contributor to the economic development of the city and the state of Tamil Nadu. The Major exports that go through Chennai Port including textiles, cotton, iron, automobiles, and leather. The other main imports of the ports are machinery, wheat, iron, steel, and raw cotton. The port also has its own railway operations. Chennai Port also has a tourist attraction of lighthouses which attracts visitors. The port is also known as India’s third-oldest port, and the largest port in the Bay of Bengal, Gateway to South India.
