India’s 12 major ports handled a record 855 million tonnes (MT) of cargo in FY25, a 4.3 per cent increase over 819 MT in FY24, the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways announced.

Growth was driven by container movement, up 10 per cent; fertilisers, up 13 per cent; petroleum, oil and lubricants (POL), up three per cent; and miscellaneous cargo, rising 31 per cent. Paradip Port Authority and Deendayal Port Authority crossed the 150 MT cargo mark for the first time. Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority handled 7.3 million TEUs, a 13.5 per cent rise, setting a new record.

POL cargo led with 254.5 MT, nearly 30 per cent of total cargo, followed by container cargo at 193.5 MT and coal at 186.6 MT.

Ports allocated 962 acres for industrial use, expected to generate Rs 75.65 billion in revenue, with projected investments of Rs 687.80 billion. Public-Private Partnership investments rose to Rs 39.86 billion in FY25 from Rs 13.29 billion in FY23.

Operational improvements include reduced turnaround time to 49.5 hours and increased output per ship berth day. Over the decade, cargo volumes grew from 581 MT to 855 MT, with container traffic surging 70 per cent.

Source:UrbanNews