Deendayal Port plans to add 100 MMT of cargo-handling capacity through new container terminals, multi-cargo berths and an outer harbour expansion, Deputy Chairperson Nilabhra Dasgupta said at THE WEEK Maritime Conclave 2026 in Ahmedabad.

The port handled 160.11 MMT (million metric tonnes) in FY26, making it India’s busiest port by cargo volume. Its throughput represented a significant share of the 915.17 MMT handled by the country’s major ports during the financial year, highlighting its role in India’s maritime trade network.

Dasgupta said the development of a modern port extended beyond cargo operations and formed part of a wider economic ecosystem linking trade, industry, investment and employment. Gujarat’s coastline, measuring about 2,340.6 km, was identified as one of the factors supporting the state’s maritime activity.

Deendayal Port is also allocating nearly 2,000 acres for shipbuilding and vessel repair. A floating dry dock is being constructed in collaboration with Cochin Shipyard to service larger vessels, while the port has ordered India’s first all-electric tug under the Green Tug Transition Programme.

The port is pursuing additional green-energy projects alongside its cargo expansion. Plans are underway to increase the capacity of its megawatt-scale green hydrogen plant by 5 MW, and the port is among India’s three designated Green Hydrogen Hubs. Dasgupta said the port was also preparing to lay the foundation stone for an e-methanol plant with a capacity of 150 t per year. The conclave brought together Union Ports, Shipping and Waterways Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, maritime executives, port officials and former Navy chief Admiral Karambir Singh.