How many Seaports are there in India?
There are 13 major seaports in India, there are more than 180 minor ports that handle a huge volume of traffic. One of the largest natural ports in India is the Mumbai Port Trust (formerly known as Bombay Port Trust). The thirteen seaports include Kochi Port in Kerala, Ennore in Tamil Nadu, Haldia in West Bengal, Kolkata Port in West Bengal, Kandla in Gujarat, Mangalore in Karnataka, Marmagoa in Goa, Mumbai Port in Maharashtra, Jawaharlal Nehru Port in Maharashtra, Paradip in Odisha, Tuticorin in Tamil Nadu, Vishakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh, and Chennai in Tamil Nadu. In this article, we will discuss these ports in detail.
World Largest Freshwater Lake
List of Major Ports in India
| S.No. | Seaports | States | Major export |
| 1. | Kochi Port | Kerala | Tea, Coffee, Spices, etc |
| 2. | Ennore Port | Tamil Nadu | Iron ore, petroleum, coal, and chemicals |
| 3. | Haldia port | West Bengal | Jute, steel, iron ore, etc |
| 4. | Kolkata Port | West Bengal | Iron ore, tea, coal, steel, etc |
| 5. | Kandla Port | Gujarat | Textile, manganese, machinery, leather, chemical products, etc |
| 6. | Mangalore Port | Karnataka | Iron ore |
| 7. | Marmagoa | Goa | Iron ore |
| 8. | Mumbai Port | Maharashtra | Textile, manganese, machinery, leather, chemical products, etc |
| 9. | Jawaharlal Nehru port | Maharashtra | Textile, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, carpets, etc |
| 10. | Paradip Port | Odisha | Iron ore, iron, and aluminium |
| 11. | Tuticorin Port | Tamil Nadu | Salt, fertilizer, petroleum, coal, etc |
| 12. | Vishakhapatnam Port | Andhra Pradesh | Coal, alumina, oil, and coals |
| 13. | Chennai port | Tamil Nadu | Rice, textile, leather, goods, etc |
List of Major Ports in details:
- Kochi Port- It is located on the south-western coast of Willington Island, in Kerala, India. It is the second-largest natural seaport in India. It is also called a natural gateway for the industrial and agricultural market in South-west India. It is one of the major centers for shipbuilding. From Kochi Port spices, tea, and coffee are exported.
- Ennore Port- Ennore port is located on the Coromandel Coast, Tamil Nadu, India. It is recognized as India’s first corporatized port. It is about 24 km away from Chennai port and ranks 12th on the major seaports list. From Ennore port iron ore, petroleum, coal, and chemicals are exported.
- Haldia port- It is located on the banks of the Hugli river, West Bengal, India. It is mainly used to share the export work with Kolkata Port and relieves some pressure from Kolkata Port. From Haldia port jute, steel, iron ore, etc are exported.
- Kolkata Port- It is located in West Bengal and is the only riverine major port in India. The Kolkata Port and the Haldia port together makes the twin dock systems, from the eastern and western side of the Hugli river respectively. The major quantity of Jute is exported from Kolkata Port and things like iron ore, tea, coal, steel, etc are also exported.
- Kandla Port- It is located in the Gulf of Kutch, Gujarat, India. It is known as a Tidal port and it is constructed after the partition. The Kandla Port is used to relieve the pressure on Mumbai Port. It is a well-known port because it is also acknowledged as trade free zone.
- Mangalore Port- It is located in Karnataka, India. It is deep water and an all-weather port. Mangalore Port is the only major port in Karnataka. It majorly deals with exporting iron ore.
- Marmagoa Port- It is located in the estuaries of River Juari in Goa, India. It is also a natural harbor and it was awarded the status of a major port in 1963. The Marmagoa port is also a leading exporter of Iron ore.
- Mumbai Port- It is located in Maharashtra, India. Earlier it was located by the navies of Shivaji. It is the largest natural port and the busiest port in India. The port consists of three were docks, namely, Prince’s Dock, Victoria Dock, and Indira Dock. From Mumbai Port textile, manganese, machinery, leather, chemical products, etc are exported.
- Jawaharlal Nehru port- It is located on the Eastern shore of Mumbai, Maharashtra, India. It is the largest artificial port and the largest container port in India. This port is also called Nhava Sheva port because the villages of these names existed in that area. From Jawaharlal Nehru port textile, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, carpets, etc are exported.
- Paradip Port- It is located at the junction of the Mahanadi river and the Bay of Bengal in Odisha, India. It is the first major port after the commencement of Independence. From Paradip port iron ore, iron and aluminium are exported. The majority of the export business is done with Japan.
- Tuticorin Port- It is located in the Gulf of Mannar, Tamil Nadu, India. The earlier name of the port was V.O. Chidambaranar Port. It is an artificial port and it is famous for pearl fishery. Tuticorin is also known as Pearl City because of the pearl fishery in the Bay of Bengal. From Tuticorin salt, fertilizer, petroleum, coal, etc are exported.
- Vishakhapatnam Port- It is located between Chennai port and Kolkata Port in Andhra Pradesh, India. It is the second-largest port by volume of cargo handled and it is also a natural harbor. Fr Vishakhapatnam port coal, alumina, oil, and coals are exported.
- Chennai port- It is located in Tamil Nadu. It is the largest port on the eastern coast of India and the second largest port after Jawaharlal Nehru port. It is also an artificial port. From Chennai port rice, textile, leather, goods, etc are exported.
FAQs related to seaports in India
1. How many seaports are there in India?
Ans. There are 13 major seaports in India and more than 180 minor seaports.
2. Which is the main port on the East coast of India?
Ans. Paradip Port is the main port on the East Coast of India and Chennai port is the largest port on the eastern coast of India.
3. Which is the oldest port in India?
Ans. Kolkata Port is the oldest port in India. It is the only riverine port in India.
Find More Miscellaneous News Here
Buy Prime Test Series for all Banking, SSC, Insurance & other exams
