Know About The Location And Characteristics Of Major Sea Ports Of India

India has 205 designated small and intermediate ports that handle a significant amount of business in addition to 13 major shipping ports (12 government-owned and one private). A nation’s development is heavily reliant on its ports. Compared to other transportation routes, ports are the most efficient in terms of price, volume, and ease of use.

Most of India’s overall foreign trade—95 % by quantity and 70 % by value—is conducted via sea transportation. The nine coastal states of India—Kerala, Karnataka, Goa, Gujarat, Odisha, Maharashtra, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu—are home to all of the country’s ports.

The ports of Mumbai, Mangalore, Murmagua, Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT), Kandla, Vadhavan, and Cochin are located on the west coast. The ports of Chennai, Paradip, Tuticorin, Visakhapatnam, Kolkata, and Ennore are on the east coast. The government owns a 68% stake in Ennore seaport, registered as a public company.

Port Blair is the only port found outside mainland India, i.e. in the Andaman & Nicobar Islands. India’s largest natural port is Mumbai. India’s government has a federal structure, and the constitution mandates that both the Central and State governments oversee marine transportation.

Major ports are managed by the shipping ministry of the Union government, whereas minor and intermediate ports are governed by the corresponding departments or ministries of the nine coastal states.

 Let’s examine some of the major ports, their location, and key characteristics:

Coast	State	Port	Key Characteristics
East Coast	West Bengal	Kolkata	India’s single notable riverine port Designated as Diamond Harbor, it is situated on the Hugli River. It is renowned for its twin port systems, including Kolkata Dock on the river’s eastern side and Haldia Dock on its western bank.
East Coast	Odisha	Paradip	It is a natural Harbor After independence, this is the first major port which was established. Handles the export of iron and aluminium.
East Coast	Andhra Pradesh	Vishakhapatnam	India’s deepest port handles the shipment of iron ore to Japan.  It has  facilities for building and maintaining ships. This seaport is a natural harbor and the second-largest port in terms of cargo volume handled. The port is approximately halfway between the ports of Chennai and Kolkata.
East coast	Tamil Nadu	Ennore	The first corporate port in India. It is roughly 24 kilometers north of the Chennai Seaport on the Coromandel Coast.
West Coast	Maharashtra	Mumbai	India’s biggest natural seaport and harbor. It is India’s busiest seaport. Jawahar Dweep is a port island used to handle crude and petroleum products.
West Coast	Goa	Murmugao	Located on the Zuari River’s estuary. Situated on the Konkan coast.
West Coast	Karnataka	Mangalore	Deals with the export of iron ore. Situated on the Malabar Coast.
West Coast	Gujarat	Kandla	Also known as tidal port. Recognized as the free trade zone seaport of India. It is the largest by quantity of cargo it handles
West Coast	Maharashtra	Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT) Navi Mumbai	The largest man-made port in India. It is India’s largest container port. JNP was inaugurated in 1989 and has evolved from a bulk-cargo terminal to the country’s top container port in 3 decades of operation.