India’s major sea ports handled 914+ million tonnes of cargo in FY 2025–26, highlighting the country’s growing role in global maritime trade. This guide ranks India’s busiest seaports, compares their cargo volumes and growth, and highlights the major trends shaping India’s maritime sector.
India’s Maritime Trade – Quick Facts
India handles over 95% of its international trade by volume and around 70% by value through maritime routes. Explore the country’s largest ports ranked by cargo handled.
🚢 India’s Maritime Quick Facts
India’s Busiest Major Ports by Cargo Handled — FY 2025–26
India’s 12 operational major ports handled approximately 914 million tonnes of cargo in FY 2025–26. The table ranks the ports by total cargo handled and shows their primary cargo categories.
| Rank ↕ | Port ↕ | FY 2025–26 Cargo ↕ | Primary Cargo ↕ |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Deendayal | 160.11 MT | Petroleum & crude products, coal, bulk cargo |
| 2 | Paradip | 156.45 MT | Coal, iron ore, petroleum & crude products |
| 3 | JNPA | 102.01 MT | Containers, POL & other containerized cargo |
| 4 | Visakhapatnam | 91.17 MT | Iron ore, coal, petroleum & crude products |
| 5 | Mumbai | 75.15 MT | Petroleum & crude products, containers, bulk cargo |
| 6 | Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port, Kolkata | 70.70 MT | Containers, POL, coal & other bulk cargo |
| 7 | Chennai | 57.90 MT | Containers, automobiles, coal & POL |
| 8 | New Mangalore | 50.05 MT | Petroleum & crude products, coal, fertilizers |
| 9 | Kamarajar | 49.08 MT | Coal, petroleum products, LNG |
| 10 | V.O. Chidambaranar | 43.21 MT | Coal, containers, salt & other bulk cargo |
| 11 | Cochin | 38.06 MT | Containers, petroleum & crude products |
| 12 | Mormugao | 20.84 MT | Coal, iron ore, petroleum & crude products |
Deendayal
160.11 MTPetroleum & crude products, coal, bulk cargo
Paradip
156.45 MTCoal, iron ore, petroleum & crude products
JNPA
102.01 MTContainers, POL & other containerized cargo
Visakhapatnam
91.17 MTIron ore, coal, petroleum & crude products
Mumbai
75.15 MTPetroleum & crude products, containers, bulk cargo
Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port, Kolkata
70.70 MTContainers, POL, coal & other bulk cargo
Chennai
57.90 MTContainers, automobiles, coal & POL
New Mangalore
50.05 MTPetroleum & crude products, coal, fertilizers
Kamarajar
49.08 MTCoal, petroleum products, LNG
V.O. Chidambaranar
43.21 MTCoal, containers, salt & other bulk cargo
Cochin
38.06 MTContainers, petroleum & crude products
Mormugao
20.84 MTCoal, iron ore, petroleum & crude products
Source: Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways. Cargo figures are for FY 2025–26. Primary cargo categories are summarized from the major commodity profiles of the respective ports.
Top 5 Major Indian Ports Annual Performance & YoY Growth
Cargo tonnage comparison between FY 2024–25 and FY 2025–26 (in Million Metric Tonnes).
| Port | FY 2024–25 (MMT) | FY 2025–26 (MMT) | YoY Growth (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deendayal | 150.16 MMT | 160.11 MMT | ▲ +6.63% |
| Paradip | 150.41 MMT | 156.45 MMT | ▲ +4.02% |
| JNPA (Nhava Sheva) | 92.12 MMT | 102.01 MMT | ▲ +10.74% |
| Visakhapatnam | 82.62 MMT | 91.17 MMT | ▲ +10.34% |
| Mumbai | 68.63 MMT | 75.15 MMT | ▲ +9.50% |
Petroleum and crude products form the largest commodity category handled by India’s major ports, reflecting India’s dependence on global energy trade.
What Changed in India’s Port Rankings in FY 2025–26?
Key structural shifts, milestone achievements, and capacity breakthroughs across major maritime hubs.
Deendayal moves to #1
Overtook Paradip to become India’s busiest major port by cargo handled
Paradip moves to #2
Narrowly displaced from the top spot despite solid thermal coal volume growth.
JNPA crosses 100 MT
Achieved a major milestone driven by double-digit container volume growth.
Major ports cross 900 MT
Cumulative cargo handled across all 12 centrally governed major gateways.
Growth Trend In Cargo Handled By Major Indian Ports: 2015-16 to 2025-26
The image below provides the growth trend for cargo handled by major Indian ports. In the last decade, India has seen an astounding 50.9% increase in cargo handling, with the figures in 605.89 million tonnes in 2015 going to 914.14 in 2025-26. The trend shows a continuous increase every year except for 2020 due to the COVID-19 impact.
2015-16 to 2025-26
Sources Referred:
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