India’s major ports have recorded their highest-ever cargo throughput of 915 million tonnes (MT) in FY 2025-26, surpassing the government’s target of 904 MT, highlighting strong growth in maritime trade and operational efficiency.
The performance marks a year-on-year growth of approximately 7.06%, reflecting sustained momentum in cargo movement across key commodities such as container traffic, petroleum products, coal, fertilisers, and other bulk cargo.
This achievement builds on the strong base of 855 MT handled in FY25, indicating a significant jump in throughput within a year and underscoring the expanding role of ports in supporting India’s logistics and trade ecosystem.
The growth has been driven by multiple factors, including capacity expansion, mechanisation, improved port productivity, and reduced vessel turnaround time. Ongoing investments in port modernisation and digitisation have also played a key role in enhancing efficiency and enabling higher cargo handling volumes.
Major ports continue to handle a substantial share of India’s total maritime cargo, maintaining their strategic importance even as non-major (private) ports increase their share in overall traffic.
The record performance aligns with the government’s broader vision under initiatives such as Sagarmala and Maritime Amrit Kaal Vision 2047, which aim to transform India into a global maritime hub through infrastructure development, multimodal connectivity, and logistics integration.
With cargo volumes reaching new highs, India’s port sector is expected to continue its growth trajectory, supported by rising domestic demand, increasing exports, and ongoing improvements in port-led industrial and logistics ecosystems.
