India’s 12 major ports handled a record 855 million tonnes (MT) of cargo in FY25, registering a 4.3% increase from 819 MT in FY24, the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways announced on Tuesday.
The rise was fuelled by strong growth in container movement (up 10%), fertilisers (13%), petroleum, oil and lubricants (POL) (3%), and miscellaneous cargo (31%). Two major ports—Paradip Port Authority (PPA) and Deendayal Port Authority (DPA)—crossed the 150 MT cargo handling mark for the first time, marking a significant operational milestone. Meanwhile, Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority (JNPA) handled a record 7.3 million TEUs, a 13.5% year-on-year growth, setting a new benchmark for container traffic. Among commodity categories, POL cargo led with 254.5 MT, accounting for nearly 30% of total cargo, followed by container cargo at 193.5 MT (22.6%) and coal at 186.6 MT (21.8%).
The ports collectively allocated 962 acres of land for industrial use in FY25, expected to generate ₹7,565 crore in revenue, with lessees projecting ₹68,780 crore in investments—a clear indicator of robust investor confidence in port-led development. Public-Private Partnership (PPP) investments also saw a significant jump—from ₹1,329 crore in FY23 to ₹3,986 crore in FY25. On the financial front, total income rose by 8% to ₹24,203 crore, while operating surplus increased by 7% to ₹12,314 crore, reflecting greater operational efficiency.
The Ministry highlighted several key operational improvements:
Turnaround time (TRT) dropped from 96 hours in FY15 to 49.5 hours in FY25.
Pre-berthing detention improved by 24% to 3.8 hours.
Idle time as a share of total time fell from 23.1% to 16.3%.
Output per ship berth day (OSBD) rose from 12,458 tonnes to 18,304 tonnes.
Over the decade (FY15–FY25), cargo volumes rose from 581 MT to 855 MT, at a 4% CAGR, while container traffic surged 70%, and total income more than doubled from ₹11,760 crore to ₹24,203 crore, with an operating ratio improvement from 64.7% to 42.3%. A senior ministry official noted that continued investments in mechanisation, digitisation, and multi-modal logistics have made India’s ports more efficient and globally competitive. “Our major ports are now better positioned to meet rising trade volumes and drive national economic growth,” the official said.
