India’s extensive coastline of over 7,500 kilometers serves as the backbone of its maritime trade. With 13 major ports and over 200 minor and intermediate ports, the country facilitates substantial international trade, contributing significantly to its economy.
This article provides a comprehensive overview of the major ports in India, along with their key features and a free downloadable PDF map.

Points to Remember:
- There are 13 Major Ports in India out of which 6 are located on the East Coast, 6 on the West Coast, and 1 on the Andaman & Nicobar Islands.
- Major Ports are owned and managed by the Central Government while Minor or other Non-Major Ports are owned and managed by the State Governments.
- Major Ports are under the Union List of the Constitution of India while the Non-Major Ports are under the Concurrent List.
- Galathea Bay Port (13th Major Port of India):
- The Galathea Bay Port (also known as the International Container Transshipment Port (ICTP)) is a proposed container transshipment port at Galathea Bay, Great Nicobar Island in the union territory of Andaman and Nicobar Islands
- In September 2024, it was officially notified as the 13th major port of India.
- Please note that although Port Blair is mentioned as a Major Port in many sources, it is NOT a Major Port.
- Also, in some sources, the Kolkata Port and Haldia Port are mentioned as 2 separate Major Ports, which is not the case. They both come under one Major Port – The Kolkata Port (Officially called the Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port).
- When in doubt, always refer to genuine government sources (if available) for information. You can check the Annual Report of the Ministry of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways to confirm this information yourself.
Major Ports of India
Here is an overview of India’s major ports along with their key features:
1. Deendayal Port (Kandla Port)
- Located in Kutch District, the Deendayal (Kandla) Port is the largest port in India by volume of cargo handled.
- It is a natural, tidal port.
- It was constructed after the partition as the chief seaport serving western India.
- It is a Special Economic Zone (SEZ).
2. Mumbai Port
- It is a natural deep-water port.
- It is the largest port in India in terms of size.
3. Jawahar Nehru Port (JNPT)
- It is also known as Nhava Sheva.
- It is the largest container port (among major ports) in India, handling around 50% of the total containers handled by all Major Ports in India.
- It is also the terminal of the Western Dedicated Freight Corridor proposed by India Railways.
- It can be accessed via the Thane Creek.
PLEASE NOTE:
- Although JNPT is the largest container port in India among ‘Major Ports’, it is not the largest overall.
- The largest container port in India is the Mundra Port, which is NOT a major port.
- The Mundra Port is also India’s first private port and largest commercial port, located on the northern shores of the Gulf of Kutch near Mundra, Kutch district, Gujarat.
- This port is owned by the Adani Group and is also a Special Economic Zone (SEZ)
4. Mormugao Port
- Located in the state of Goa, the Mormugao Port has a naturally protected open-type harbour.
- It lies on the mouth of the river Zuari.
- This harbour is also protected using a breakwater and a mole.
- It is the premier iron-ore exporting port.
5. New Mangalore Port
- It is a deep-water. all-weather port at Panambur, Mangalore in Karnataka.
- It is located near the confluence of Gurupura river to Arabian sea.
6. Cochin Port
- It lies on two islands in the Vembanad Lake – Willingdon Island and Vallarpadam, towards the Fort Kochi river mouth opening onto the Laccadive Sea.
- The Kochi International Container Transshipment Terminal (ICTT) (locally known as the Vallarpadam Terminal), a part of the Cochin Port, is the first transshipment terminal in India and the first container terminal to operate in a Special Economic Zone (SEZ).
7. V. O. Chidambaranar Port (Tuticorin Port)
- It is an artificial, all-weather port located in Gulf of Mannar, Tamil Nadu.
- It is strategically located very close to the East-West International Sea-Route.
- With Sri Lanka on South East and large Indian Landmass on the West, the Port is well sheltered from storms and cyclone winds.
8. Chennai Port
- It is the largest and oldest artificial harbour in India.
- It is the second-largest container port of India after JNPT.
- It is the largest port in Bay of Bengal/East Coast.
9. Kamarajar Port (Ennore Port)
- Located on the Coromandel Coast just about 20 km north of the Chennai Port.
- It is the first port in India which is a public company.
- It is the only corporatised major port and is registered as a company.
- The port is owned and managed by Kamarajar Port Limited (KPL), a subsidiary of the Chennai Port Authority.
10. Visakhapatnam Port
- It is the deepest natural harbour of India.
- It is India’s third largest port by volume of cargo handled and largest on the Eastern Coast.
- The Dolphin’s Nose Hill to the north of the entrance channel naturally protects the harbour from cyclones that strike the east coast.
- The port has two harbours: the Inner Harbour consisting of 22 berths and the Outer Harbour consisting of 8 berths and a single point mooring (SPM).
- It is notified as a Gateway port for the EXIM cargo of Nepal.
11. Paradip Port
- It is situated on the confluence of the Mahanadi River and the Bay of Bengal in Odisha.
- It is a natural, deep-water port.
- It is the key port for the export of iron ore to Japan.
12. The Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port (Kolkata Port)
- Established in 1870, It is the oldest operating port in India.
- It is the only riverine Major Port in India.
- The port has twin dock systems – Kolkata Dock System (KDS) on the eastern bank and Haldia Dock Complex (HDC) on the western bank of river Hooghly.
13. Galathea Bay Port
- It is also known as the International Container Transshipment Port (ICTP).
- It is a proposed container transshipment port at Galathea Bay, Great Nicobar Island in the union territory of Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
- It is developed by the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways under the Government of India.
- In September 2024, it was officially notified as the 13th major port of India.
- The first phase of development is expected to be commissioned in 2028.