India's major ports' cargo hits 855 MT, income up 8% in FY25

Among commodities handled at major ports, petroleum, oil, and lubricants (POL)—including crude, petroleum products, and LPG/LNG—led the charts with a volume of 254.5 million tonnes (29.8 per cent), the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways said in a release.

The Paradip Port Authority (PPA) and Deendayal Port Authority (DPA) surpassed the 150-million-tonne cargo handling mark. Meanwhile, Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority (JNPA) set a record by handling 7.3 million TEUs (Twenty-foot equivalent unit), reflecting a 13.5 per cent year-on-year growth.

Indian ports collectively allocated 962 acres of land for port-led industrialisation, projected to generate an income of ₹7,565 crore (~$907.8 million) in FY25. Furthermore, lessees are expected to make future investments of ₹68,780 crore (~$8.25 billion) on the allotted land. Private sectors investments in PPP projects at major ports have increased threefold, from ₹1,329 crore (~$159.48 million) in FY 2022-23 to ₹3,986 crore (~$478.32 million) in FY25.

Financially, major ports witnessed an 8 per cent increase in total income in FY25, rising to ₹24,203 crore (~$2.90 billion) from ₹22,468 crore in FY24. Similarly, operating surplus grew 7 per cent to ₹12,314 crore in FY25 from ₹11,512 crore in FY24.

Over the past decade, financial performance has also been strong, with total income more than doubling over the past decade from ₹11,760 crore in fiscal 2015 (FY15) to ₹24,203 crore in FY25, registering a 7.5 per cent CAGR.

"I am immensely proud of the remarkable achievements of India's major ports in FY25, a year that stands as a testament to the transformative vision and leadership of our Prime Minister. Together, we are building globally competitive, sustainable, and future-ready ports that will power India's economic growth and global trade footprint in the years to come," Sarbananda Sonowal, Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, stated.

Cargo volumes surged from 581 million tonnes to approximately 855 million tonnes, between FY15 and FY25, reflecting a robust Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of ~4 per cent. Containerised cargo saw a 70 per cent increase over the decade—from 7.9 million TEUs in FY15 to 13.5 million TEUs in FY25.

Operating surplus nearly tripled to ₹12,314 crore, driven by a 13 per cent CAGR over the same period. Operational efficiency also improved significantly, with the operating ratio declining from 64.7 per cent in FY15 to 42.3 per cent in FY25, reinforcing the ports’ financial sustainability.

India’s major ports are now poised to take their competitiveness to the next level, supported by continuous investment in mechanisation, process reengineering, port community systems, and multi-modal logistics integration. These initiatives have resulted in higher cargo volumes, reduced vessel wait times, optimised capacity utilisation, and increased investor confidence, the ministry said.

ALCHEMPro News Desk (HU)