Cargo Volume at Major Ports Rises

18 Oct 2024 CW Team

The cargo volume handled by India’s 12 major ports witnessed a 5% increase in September, reaching 413.747 million metric tonnes (MMT), according to data released by the Ministry of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways. This growth marks an important milestone in the country's maritime sector, reflecting the robust performance of port infrastructure and its critical role in supporting trade and logistics.

These major ports, which serve as essential gateways for India's international trade, handle a wide variety of cargo, including petroleum, coal, iron ore, and container traffic. The consistent rise in cargo volumes is attributed to the increasing demand for imports and exports, along with efficiency improvements and better infrastructure at these ports.

The growth in cargo volume comes at a time when India is seeking to expand its global trade footprint. By upgrading port facilities and boosting operational efficiencies, the government aims to enhance the capacity of these ports to handle larger cargo volumes, ensuring smooth trade flow. This 5% rise also signifies the positive impact of policy reforms and public-private partnerships in the port sector.

The data further highlights the performance of individual ports such as Kandla, Paradip, and Mumbai, which are key contributors to this growth. The Ministry's focus on digitization, technology adoption, and infrastructure upgrades is expected to sustain this upward trend in the coming months.

With India’s maritime sector playing a pivotal role in economic growth, this increase in cargo volume strengthens its position as a growing trade hub, boosting the nation’s overall competitiveness in the global market.

Infrastructure Transport

12 Mar 2026

Kavach 4.0 Commissioned on Delhi–Mumbai and Delhi–Howrah

"Kavach version four has been commissioned on 1,452 route km, covering the high density Delhi–Mumbai and Delhi–Howrah corridors. The rollout included laying 8,570 km of optical fibre, installation of 1,100 telecom towers, deployment of trackside equipment over 6,776 RKm and establishment of 767 station data centres. Trackside implementation has been taken up on 24,427 RKm covering Golden Quadrilateral, Golden Diagonal and High Density Network sections. The programme aims to strengthen signalling and train protection on key routes.Kavach is an indigenously developed automatic train protecti..

Railways Advance Kalyan–Murbad Line And Mumbai Capacity Expansion

"Indian Railways is advancing multiple rail infrastructure projects in Maharashtra, including the sanctioned Kalyan–Murbad new line and sizable investments under the Mumbai Urban Transport Project and the Mumbai–Ahmedabad High Speed Rail project. The Kalyan–Murbad 28 km new line has been sanctioned at Rs 8.36 billion (bn) on a 50:50 cost-sharing basis with the Government of Maharashtra and has been declared a Special Railway Project for land acquisition; proposals covering 214 hectares are at various stages of acquisition. Budgetary outlay for projects falling fully or partly in Maharash..

Parliamentary Panel Flags Funding Gaps in Heavy Industries

"The Department-Related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Industry (Rajya Sabha) presented its 332nd report on the Demands for Grants 2026-27 of the Ministry of Heavy Industries (MHI). Figures converted from crore and lakh are expressed in million (mn). The Budget Estimates 2026-27 for the Ministry stand at Rs 79,399 mn against a projected requirement of Rs 94,843.2 mn, a shortfall of about 16 per cent, with revenue at Rs 79,370.8 mn and capital compressed to Rs 28.2 mn from Rs 5,020 mn.The committee flagged recurring BE-to-RE compression and declining revised estimate utilisation, and calle..