There are 12 major ports of India, six on the west coast and six on the east, and questions on them come up in almost every SSC, Railway and Banking general awareness paper. This guide gives the state-wise list with old and new names, the facts examiners like to ask, and a clear answer to the “largest port” question, which has more than one correct answer depending on how it is worded.
Table of Contents
How many major ports are there in India?
India has 12 major ports, along with about 200 minor and intermediate ports. Older textbooks give the coastline as about 7,517 km. In 2025 the government released a re-measured figure of about 11,098 km, which follows the coast’s bends and islands more closely. Write 12 in any exam unless the question is clearly about proposed ports.
Major and minor ports differ in who controls them, not in size. Major ports come under the Union Government, through the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways. Minor ports come under State Governments through their maritime boards. That is why Mundra in Gujarat, which handles more cargo than any government port, is still a minor (non-major) port.
| Feature | Major port | Minor / non-major port |
|---|---|---|
| Controlled by | Union Government | State Government / maritime board |
| Law | Major Port Authorities Act, 2021 (11 ports) | State maritime board laws |
| Number | 12 | About 200 (approx.) |
| Examples | Paradip, JNPA, Cochin | Mundra, Hazira, Krishnapatnam |
- 11 of the 12 are run as Major Port Authorities under the Major Port Authorities Act, 2021, which replaced the Major Port Trusts Act, 1963.
- Kamarajar Port (Ennore) is the exception. It is a company, Kamarajar Port Limited, and was India’s first corporatised major port.
- Vadhavan (Palghar, Maharashtra) is a new deep-draft port approved by the Union Cabinet in June 2024 and still under construction. Some guides call it the 13th major port, but it is not one of the 12 working ports.
The Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways publishes the official port data and annual traffic figures. Check it if a question uses unusual wording.
State-wise list of major ports of India
The table lists the major ports of India from north to south on each coast, with the state and the water body each one faces. Learning them in this order, down from Gujarat to Kerala and then up from Tamil Nadu to West Bengal, is the fastest way to memorise them.
| Port (current name) | Former name | State | Coast / water body |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deendayal Port | Kandla | Gujarat | West – Gulf of Kutch |
| Mumbai Port | — | Maharashtra | West – Arabian Sea |
| Jawaharlal Nehru Port (JNPA) | Nhava Sheva (informal) | Maharashtra | West – Arabian Sea |
| Mormugao Port | — | Goa | West – Arabian Sea |
| New Mangalore Port | — | Karnataka | West – Arabian Sea |
| Cochin Port | — | Kerala | West – Arabian Sea |
| V.O. Chidambaranar Port | Tuticorin | Tamil Nadu | East – Gulf of Mannar |
| Chennai Port | Madras | Tamil Nadu | East – Bay of Bengal |
| Kamarajar Port | Ennore | Tamil Nadu | East – Bay of Bengal |
| Visakhapatnam Port | — | Andhra Pradesh | East – Bay of Bengal |
| Paradip Port | — | Odisha | East – Bay of Bengal |
| Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port | Kolkata | West Bengal | East – Hooghly River |
V.O. Chidambaranar Port faces the Gulf of Mannar rather than the open Bay of Bengal, but it is still counted among the six east coast ports. For the wider map context of coasts, plains and plateaus, see our Indian geography notes.
A useful check: the west coast has ports in five states (Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala), while the east coast has ports in only four (Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, West Bengal). Each coast still has six ports, because Maharashtra has two and Tamil Nadu has three.
West coast ports: key facts
The six western ports face the Arabian Sea. Between them they carry most of India’s container and crude oil trade with the Gulf, Europe and Africa. The west coast is narrow and broken by estuaries, which gives it several good natural harbours.
Deendayal Port (Kandla), Gujarat
This port was built in the 1950s on the Gulf of Kutch to make up for the loss of Karachi, which went to Pakistan at Partition. It is a tidal port and one of the two busiest major ports by cargo volume. It handles large amounts of crude oil, petroleum products, fertiliser, edible oil and salt.
Mumbai Port and JNPA, Maharashtra
Mumbai Port sits on one of the finest natural harbours on India’s west coast. Jawaharlal Nehru Port at Nhava Sheva in Navi Mumbai opened in 1989 to ease the load on Mumbai and is now India’s largest container port. Container traffic is measured in TEU (twenty-foot equivalent units), a term that sometimes appears in exam options.
Mormugao Port, Goa
Located at the mouth of the Zuari estuary, Mormugao has long been known as India’s leading iron ore export port, serving the mines of Goa and nearby Karnataka.
Which is the only major port of Karnataka?
New Mangalore Port, at Panambur near Mangaluru, is the only major port in Karnataka. It handles crude oil and petroleum products for the nearby refinery, plus iron ore, coffee and cashew. Karwar is also in Karnataka, but it is a minor port run by the state.
Cochin Port, Kerala
Cochin Port is based on Willingdon Island and runs the International Container Transshipment Terminal at Vallarpadam. Do not confuse it with Vizhinjam near Thiruvananthapuram, a newer deep-water transshipment port that is not a major port.
East coast ports: key facts
The six eastern ports face the Bay of Bengal (and the Gulf of Mannar). They ship coal, iron ore and minerals from the eastern mining belt and handle trade with East and South-East Asia. The east coast is straighter and has wide deltas, so most of its harbours are artificial.
V.O. Chidambaranar Port (Tuticorin), Tamil Nadu
An artificial deep-water port on the Gulf of Mannar. It is named after the freedom fighter V.O. Chidambaram Pillai, who started an Indian-owned shipping company to compete with British lines.
Chennai Port and Kamarajar Port, Tamil Nadu
Chennai is one of India’s oldest ports and has an artificial harbour. It is a major gateway for cars and containers. Kamarajar Port at Ennore, north of Chennai, was built mainly for coal and other bulk cargo and is the only major port run as a company.
Visakhapatnam Port, Andhra Pradesh
Visakhapatnam is usually described as India’s deepest landlocked and protected port. The Dolphin’s Nose headland shelters its inner harbour. It handles iron ore, coal and crude oil.
Paradip Port, Odisha
Paradip was commissioned in the 1960s near the mouth of the Mahanadi. It handles very large volumes of thermal coal, iron ore and petroleum products, and in recent years it has competed with Deendayal for the top spot in total cargo.
Which major port is a riverine port?
Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port (formerly Kolkata Port) is India’s only riverine major port. It is also the oldest working one, with its port trust set up in 1870. It runs two systems on the Hooghly: the Kolkata Dock System, about 200 km upstream from the sea, and the Haldia Dock Complex further downstream.
Silt carried by the river is a constant problem, so the port depends on regular dredging, and larger ships use Haldia instead. The Hooghly is a distributary of the Ganga, which you can revise in our guide to major rivers of India.
Old and new names of major ports
Renaming questions are popular because many candidates know only one name. Four of the major ports of India have been officially renamed.
| Old name | New name | Year | Named after |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kandla Port | Deendayal Port | 2017 | Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya |
| Tuticorin Port | V.O. Chidambaranar Port | 2011 | V.O. Chidambaram Pillai |
| Ennore Port | Kamarajar Port | 2014 | K. Kamaraj |
| Kolkata Port | Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port | 2020 | Dr Syama Prasad Mookerjee |
What is the new name of Kandla port?
Kandla Port is now Deendayal Port, and the Deendayal Port Authority manages it. The town is still called Kandla, so newspapers use both names. The Kolkata renaming was announced at the port’s 150th anniversary in January 2020 and approved by the Union Cabinet in June 2020.
- Jawaharlal Nehru Port is also called Nhava Sheva, after the village where it was built. That is an informal name, not an official renaming.
- Chennai Port is the same port that used to be called Madras Port. Its name changed along with the city’s.
- Mormugao is sometimes spelled Marmagao. Both spellings mean the same port in Goa.
Which is the largest port in India? Several answers
This is the most confusing question about the major ports of India, because the right answer depends on what is being measured. Check the question for the words “major”, “container”, “private” or “natural”.
| Question wording | Usual answer | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Largest major port by cargo | Deendayal or Paradip | The two have traded the top spot in recent years |
| Largest container port | Jawaharlal Nehru Port | Handles roughly half of major-port container traffic (approx.) |
| Largest port overall / private | Mundra (Gujarat) | About 200 million tonnes a year (approx.), more than any major port |
| Largest natural harbour | Mumbai | Large, deep natural harbour |
| Deepest landlocked port | Visakhapatnam | Protected inner harbour |
On total cargo, Paradip overtook Deendayal in FY 2023-24 to become the busiest major port. The two have stayed close since then, and the lead has changed from one period to the next. Older books may say Kandla simply because it led for many years.
For the exam, go by the latest full financial year in the ministry’s annual figures. If you have not studied a recent figure, remember that the answer is one of these two ports, and check which year the question refers to.
Mundra, run by Adani Ports and SEZ, is not one of the 12 because it is a non-major port under the Gujarat Maritime Board. If Mundra is an option and the question just asks for “the largest port in India”, Mundra is usually the expected answer. If it says “largest major port”, choose between Deendayal and Paradip.
Which state has the most major ports?
Tamil Nadu has the most major ports, with three: Chennai, Kamarajar (Ennore) and V.O. Chidambaranar (Tuticorin). Maharashtra is second with two, Mumbai and JNPA. Every other coastal state that has a major port has only one.
| State | Number | Major port(s) |
|---|---|---|
| Tamil Nadu | 3 | Chennai, Kamarajar, V.O. Chidambaranar |
| Maharashtra | 2 | Mumbai, Jawaharlal Nehru |
| Gujarat | 1 | Deendayal |
| Goa | 1 | Mormugao |
| Karnataka | 1 | New Mangalore |
| Kerala | 1 | Cochin |
| Andhra Pradesh | 1 | Visakhapatnam |
| Odisha | 1 | Paradip |
| West Bengal | 1 | Syama Prasad Mookerjee (Kolkata) |
Gujarat has India’s longest coastline and handles more port cargo than any other state. Almost all of it moves through minor ports such as Mundra, Sikka, Hazira and Pipavav, so Gujarat has just one major port. Coastal union territories such as Puducherry, Daman and Diu, and Lakshadweep have no major port.
The Andaman and Nicobar Islands have no working major port, although Port Blair is often wrongly listed as one. A large transshipment port is planned at Galathea Bay on Great Nicobar, in an area that is home to protected communities such as the Shompen. Our notes on tribes of India state-wise cover those communities.
Revision tips and common traps for major ports of India
Most exam questions on the major ports of India test the same handful of facts. Learn these and you will answer most of them correctly.
- Memorise the coastal order. West, north to south: Deendayal, Mumbai, JNPA, Mormugao, New Mangalore, Cochin. East, south to north: V.O. Chidambaranar, Chennai, Kamarajar, Visakhapatnam, Paradip, Kolkata.
- Link each port to one cargo. Mormugao for iron ore, Paradip and Kamarajar for coal, JNPA for containers, Deendayal for crude oil and salt.
- Remember the one-offs. Only riverine port: Kolkata. Only corporatised port: Kamarajar. Only major port in Karnataka: New Mangalore.
- Watch for Mundra and Vizhinjam. Both are large and often in the news, but neither is a major port.
- Check the year. Cargo rankings change, so go by the latest ministry figures you have studied.
Common mistakes
- Writing 13 major ports because Vadhavan is under construction. The working count is 12.
- Calling Port Blair a major port.
- Putting Kolkata on the coast. It is a river port on the Hooghly, well inland.
- Confusing Mumbai Port with JNPA. They are two separate major ports in the same metropolitan region.
- Treating natural and artificial harbours as the same. Mumbai and Mormugao are natural harbours. Chennai, Paradip and Tuticorin are artificial ones.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many major ports are there in India?
India has 12 major ports under the Union Government. Six are on the west coast (Deendayal, Mumbai, JNPA, Mormugao, New Mangalore and Cochin) and six are on the east coast (V.O. Chidambaranar, Chennai, Kamarajar, Visakhapatnam, Paradip and Kolkata). Vadhavan in Maharashtra is still under construction and is not one of the working 12.
Which is the only major port of Karnataka?
New Mangalore Port, at Panambur near Mangaluru, is the only major port in Karnataka. It handles crude oil and petroleum products for the nearby refinery, along with iron ore, coffee and cashew. Karwar is also in Karnataka, but it is a minor port run by the state government.
Which major port is a riverine port?
Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port, formerly Kolkata Port, is India’s only riverine major port. It lies on the Hooghly River and runs two docks: the Kolkata Dock System far upstream and the Haldia Dock Complex closer to the sea. Its port trust was set up in 1870, which makes it the oldest working major port in India.
What is the new name of Kandla port?
Kandla Port in Gujarat was renamed Deendayal Port in 2017, after Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya. The Deendayal Port Authority manages it, and it sits on the Gulf of Kutch. It is one of India’s two busiest major ports by cargo, and it has traded the top position with Paradip Port in Odisha in recent years.