Major Ports in India List, Map, Names and their Location

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Context: The Ministry of Ports, Shipping & Waterways has announced 2 major investments at the Kandla port.

A mega ship building and repair project at an investment of ₹30,000 crores.
A new cargo terminal outside Kandla Creek for ₹27,000 crore, will add 135 mtpa to the port’s capacity.

Major Ports in India

India has 13 major ports and 205 minor ports along its coastline. The major ports are managed by the central government because they are on the union list. Medium and minor ports are on the concurrent list, so they are managed by the states. In 2010, Port Blair was declared the main seaport of the country making it the 13th seaport in India. Overall, Indian ports handle 90% of trade by volume and 70% of the value of India’s trade with other countries.

All of India’s ports are located in its nine coastal states: Kerala, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Goa, Gujarat, West Bengal, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu. India has one of the longest coastlines which is important for trade. The major ports handle a lot of container and cargo traffic. The ports on the West Coast include Mumbai, Kandla, Mangalore, JNPT, Mormugao, and Cochin. The east coast has ports like Chennai, Tuticorin, Visakhapatnam, Paradip, Kolkata, and Ennore.

List of Major Ports in India

Name of Ports	State	Major Export
Kochi Port	Kerala	Tea, Coffee, Spices, etc
Ennore Port	Tamil Nadu	Iron ore, petroleum, coal, and chemicals
Haldia Port	West Bengal	Jute, steel, iron ore, etc
Kolkata Port	West Bengal	Iron ore, tea, coal, steel, etc
Kandla Port	Gujarat	Textile, manganese, machinery, leather, chemical products, etc
Mangalore Port	Karnataka	Iron ore
Marmagoa	Goa	Iron ore
Mumbai Port	Maharashtra	Textile, manganese, machinery, leather, chemical products, etc
Jawaharlal Nehru port	Maharashtra	Textile, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, carpets, etc
Paradip Port	Odisha	Iron ore, iron, and aluminium
Tuticorin Port	Tamil Nadu	Salt, fertilizer, petroleum, coal, etc
Vishakhapatnam Port	Andhra Pradesh	Coal, alumina, oil, and coals
Chennai port	Tamil Nadu	Rice, textile, leather, goods, etc

Important Ports in India Zone-wise

Zone	State	Port	Features
Eastern Coast	Tamil Nadu	Chennai	It is an artificial port and the Second busiest port.
Western Coast	Kerala	Kochi	Sited in the Vembanad lake and use for exports of spices and salts.
Eastern Coast	Tamil Nadu	Ennore	It is India’s First corporatized port.
Eastern Coast	West Bengal	Kolkata	India’s only major Riverine port Situated on the Hugli river, it is also known as Diamond Harbour
Western Coast	Gujarat	Kandla	It is known as Tidal Port and is acknowledged as Trade Free Zone. It is the largest port by volume of cargo handled.
Western Coast	Karnataka	Mangalore	It deals with the iron ore exports
Western Coast	Goa	Mormugao	It is situated on the estuary of the river Zuari
Western Coast	Maharashtra	Mumbai Port Trust	It is the largest Natural Port and harbour In India. It is the busiest port in India.
Western Coast	Maharashtra	Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT) also known as Nhava Sheva, Navi Mumbai	It is the largest Artificial Port It is the largest Container Port in India.
Eastern Coast	Odisha	Paradip	It is a natural harbour. Deals with the export of iron and aluminium.
Eastern Coast	Tamil Nadu	Tuticorin	It is a significant port in southern India that handles petrochemical and fertiliser products.
Eastern Coast	Andhra Pradesh	Visakhapatnam	Iron ore is sent to Japan through this port, which is India’s deepest. There are facilities for building and maintaining ships.
Bay of Bengal	Andaman & Nicobar Islands	Port Blair	The port was connected to the Indian subcontinent by ship and air. This port is located between the Saudi Arabian and US Singaporean shipping lanes.

Major Ports in India Map

About 13 Major Ports in India

At present, there are 13 major ports in India. Check here for details about Major Ports in India:

1.Kochi Port

Located on Willington Island’s southwestern coast in Kerala, India.
It is the largest shipyard in the country
India’s second-largest natural seaport.
Known as a gateway for South-west India’s industrial and agricultural markets.
Major shipbuilding center, Ships coffee, tea, and spices shipped

2. Ennore Port

Ennore Port is located on the Coromandel Coast in Tamil Nadu, India.
This Port is also known as Kamarajar Port
It is India’s first corporate Port of India
Ranked 12th among major seaports.
Located about 24 kilometers from Chennai Port.
Exports iron ore, gasoline, coal, and chemicals.

3. Haldia Port

Located in West Bengal, India, beside the Hugli River.
Helps reduce the workload of Kolkata Port by sharing export duties.
Ships jute, steel, iron ore, and other goods.

4. Kolkata Port

Located in West Bengal, it is the only major riverine port in India.
Only Inland Riverine major port of India, having been is existence for about 138 years
This Port is also known as the Gateway of the east India.
Kolkata Port and Haldia Port form twin dock systems on the eastern and western banks of the Hugli River.
Export of Bhutan and Nepal is donw through this port.
Ships iron ore, tea, coal, steel, and a large amount of jute.

5. Kandla Port/Deendayal Port

It is a tidal port also known as Deendayal Port.
Location: Kandla Creek in the Kachchh district of Gujarat.
It is one of India’s largest all-weather ports and serves as a gateway port for Punjab, Haryana, J&K.
Built after the partition and known as a tide port.
Helps reduce the workload of Mumbai Port.
Handling much of the crude oil imports of India.
It is the First Port that was developed after the Independence in Gujarat
Asia’s First Export Processing Zone is set up in Kadala Port
Recognized as a commerce-free zone, making it a well-known port.

6. Mangalore Port

Located in Karnataka, India inaugurated in 1975
It is a deep-water, all-weather port.
Mangalore Port is Karnataka’s only major port.
Mainly exports Granite, nuts, cashew, coffee. forest products and Timber

7. Marmagoa Port

Located in the River Juari estuaries in Goa, India.
Has a natural harbour.
Designated as a major port in 1963.
Mainly exports iron ore.

8. Mumbai Port

Located in Salsette Island, Maharashtra, India.
Previously used by Shivaji’s navies.
India’s busiest and largest natural port, it has the Largest Hinterland
Has three docks: Dock, Prince’s Dock, and Indira Dock.
Ships textiles, manganese, equipment, leather, chemical products, and more.

9. Jawaharlal Nehru Port

Located on the eastern shore of Mumbai, Maharashtra, India.
India’s largest container port and largest artificial port.
Also known as Nhava Sheva Port due to nearby communities.
Ships textiles, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, carpets, and more.

10. Paradip Port

Located in Odisha in 1966, where the Mahanadi River meets the Bay of Bengal.
First major port built in India after Independence.
Ships aluminium, iron, and iron ore.
Japan is the largest export market.

11. Tuticorin Port

Located in Tamil Nadu, India, near the Gulf of Mannar.
Previously known as V.O. Chidambaranar Port.
Man-made port famous for pearl fishing.
It is the only Port in south India which provides a direct weekly container service to the US
Often called “Pearl City” because of the pearl fishery in the Bay of Bengal.
Exports salt, fertilizer, oil, coal, and other goods.

12. Vishakhapatnam Port

Located in Andhra Pradesh in 1933, India
Positioned between the ports of Chennai and Kolkata
Best Natural harbor Port
Second-largest port for cargo handled
Ships coal, alumina, oil, and other goods

13. Chennai Port

Located in Tamil Nadu, it is an artificial seaport.
India’s second-largest port after Jawaharlal Nehru Port
Biggest port on the East Coast
Man-made harbour.
Exports rice, textiles, and leather from Chennai port

FAQs

Which is the No 1 port in India?

Mumbai Port is India's largest port by size and shipping traffic. Located in west Mumbai on the western coast of India, the Mumbai Port is situated in a natural harbour.

Which is the 13 major port in India?

The 13th port in India is Vadhavan port in Maharashtra.

Which is the 12th major port of India?

Ennore port is located on the Coromandel Coast, Tamil Nadu, India. It is recognized as India's first corporatized port. It is about 24 km away from Chennai port and ranks 12th on the major seaports list. From Ennore port iron ore, petroleum, coal, and chemicals are exported.

Which is India's largest port?

In operation since 1873, Mumbai Port is India's second oldest port (Kolkata being the oldest). It is also India's largest port by size, spread over a 46.3-hectare area with a pier length touching 8,000 km.

Which is the newest port in India?

Vadhavan port in Maharashtra is the newest major port in India. The Union Cabinet gave in-principle approval for the establishment of Vadhavan port as the 13th major port in India.