13 Major Ports in India- India has 13 major ports distributed along its 7,517 km coastline, with 6 on the western coast, 6 on the eastern coast, and 1 in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. These Major ports in India handle approximately 95% of India's foreign trade by volume and 70% by value.
India has 13 major ports, out of which 12 ports are government owned and one corporate. These ports are important for the country’s maritime trade and handles most of its container and cargo traffic. All the 13 Major Ports in India are situated in the Western and Eastern Ghats in India. Some major ports are Kandla which is the largest port by volume, Mumbai, JNPT which is largest container port, Chennai and Kolkata which drive imports & exports across the Western and Eastern coasts respectively.
What are Sea Ports?
A seaport is a town, city or designated location on a coast of the sea with a harbour that accommodates seagoing vessels for loading and unloading cargo and passengers. Sea Ports act as important logistics, connecting maritime transportation with inland distribution networks. It includes commercial cargo ports, cruise terminals and industrial ports. Sea Ports as an interface between sea and land which facilitates international trade and commerce.
What are Western and Eastern Ghats?
The Western and Eastern Ghats are two major mountain ranges which border the Indian Deccan Plateau. The Western Ghats are a continuous high-altitude range known as Sahyadri which runs along the west coast. The Western Ghats are known for high biodiversity and heavy rainfall. On the other hand, the Eastern Ghats are lower and older ranges along the east coast which are broken by rivers like the Godavari and Krishna.
Key Differences Between Western and Eastern Ghats
The Western Ghats are a high-elevation mountain range of 900-1600m. It is located on India's west coast which forms a major biodiversity hotspot and heavy rainfall. On the other hand, the Eastern Ghats have a lower mountain range of 600-900m. They are fragmented by rivers flowing into the Bay of Bengal and receive less rainfall which makes them less biodiverse and drier. Let’s take a look at the differences between western and eastern ghats.
1. Structure and Continuity
The Western Ghats are a continuous chain of mountains which are passable only through gaps like Palghat. On the other hand, the Eastern Ghats are not continuous and are irregular. Also, they are heavily eroded by rivers.
2. Climate and Rainfall
The Western Ghats experience heavy orographic rainfall of over 2000mm in many areas. These regions are generally very humid and vulnerable to cyclones. The Eastern Ghats receive less rainfall. They are relatively dry and create a rain shadow region. They are vulnerable to coastal erosion.
3. Biodiversity
The Western Ghats are a global biodiversity hotspot with dense evergreen forests and have a very high rate of endemism among plants, birds, reptiles and amphibians. On the other hand, the Eastern Ghats have dry deciduous and moist deciduous forests. Also, endemism in the Eastern Ghats is much lower.
4. Soil Fertility
The soil in the Western Ghats is highly fertile due to a good amount of rainfall which supports cash crops like tea, coffee and spices. Whereas, the Eastern Ghats have lower soil fertility and support the growth of rain-fed crops.
13 Major Ports in India List
13 Major Ports in India- India has 13 major ports governed by the central government with 6 on the east coast and 6 on the west coast and one in Port Blair. These ports handle substantial container cargo traffic and high volume ports such as Jawaharlal Nehru Port, Kandla, Mundra and Chennai. Let’s take a look at the list of major ports of India. Let’s take a look at 13 major ports in India.
| S.N |
Port Name |
State |
| 1 |
Deendayal Port |
Gujarat |
| 2 |
Mumbai Port Trust |
Maharashtra |
| 3 |
Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust |
Maharashtra |
| 4 |
Port of Mormugao |
Goa |
| 5 |
New Mangalore Port |
Karnataka |
| 6 |
Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port |
West Bengal |
| 7 |
Kochi Port |
Kerala |
| 8 |
Chennai Port |
Tamil Nadu |
| 9 |
Kamarajar Port |
Tamil Nadu |
| 10 |
Paradip Port |
Odisha |
| 11 |
Visakhapatnam Port |
Andhra Pradesh |
| 12 |
Tuticorin Port |
Tamil Nadu |
| 13 |
Vadhavan Port |
Maharashtra |
Major Ports on the East Coast
The East Coast of India is home to six major ports which are very important for the country's maritime trade. It handles large volumes of coal, iron ore and petrochemicals. These ports are primarily oriented towards trade with Southeast Asia, East Asia and Australia. Let’s take a look at the major ports on the East Coast.
- Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port (Kolkata/Haldia): It is the oldest operating riverine port in West Bengal.
- Paradip Port: It is a major bulk cargo for iron ore and coal in Odisha.
- Visakhapatnam Port: It is a versatile deep-water port in Andhra Pradesh.
- Kamarajar Port (Ennore): It is a specialized port in Tamil Nadu.
- Chennai Port: It is a major container port in Tamil Nadu.
- V.O. Chidambaranar Port (Tuticorin): It is an industrial hub in Tamil Nadu
Major Ports on the West Coast
The west coast of India is home to six major ports that are important for India's maritime trade, handling a substantial portion of the country's import and export cargo. These ports are located across Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka and Kerala. They act as gateways to Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Let’s take a look at the ports on the West Coast.
- Deendayal Port (Kandla): It is a bulk and liquid cargo hub in Gujarat.
- Mundra Port: It is India’s largest private port which surpasses the 200 MMT cargo.
- Mumbai Port: It is a historic commercial port in Maharashtra.
- Jawaharlal Nehru Port (JNPA/Nhava Sheva): It is the largest container hub in Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra.
- Mormugao Port: It is a key ore exporter in Goa.
- New Mangalore Port: It is a specialized port in Karnataka.
- Cochin Port: It is a major port with 14.5m draft in Kerala.
Conclusion
India has 13 major ports in the eastern and western ghats, out of which 12 ports are government owned and one corporate. These 13 Major Ports in India are very important for the trade practices of India along with serving as important gateways between maritime and land based logistics. They connect India to international markets. Some major ports on the east coast are Paradip Port, Chennai Port and Vishakhapatnam Port. Some major ports on the west coast are Mundra Port, Cochin Port and Mumbai Port.