Indian ports allocated 962 acres for port led development, to attract Rs 68,780 cr of investments

Furthermore it adds, lessees are expected to make future investments of Rs 68,780 crore on the allotted land, which reaffirms investor confidence in port-led development.

Private sector participation has been instrumental in this transformation, with investments in PPP projects at Major Ports increasing threefold, from Rs 1,329 crore in FY 2022-23 to Rs 3,986 crore in FY 2024-25, highlighting strong investor confidence.

In addition, India's major Ports registered an annual growth rate of 4.3 per cent in cargo handling in financial year 2024-25 to 855 million tonnes, increasing from 819 million tonnes in financial year (FY) 2023-24.

The major ports include Paradip Port Authority (PPA), Deendayal Port Authority (DPA), Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority (JNPA).

According to a statement by Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, the increase in traffic was driven by higher container throughput (10 per cent), fertilizer cargo handling (13 per cent), POL cargo handling (3 per cent), and handling of miscellaneous commodities (31 per cent) compared to the previous fiscal year.

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), followed by container traffic at 193.5 million tonnes (22.6 per cent), coal at 186.6 million tonnes (21.8 per cent), and other cargo categories such as iron ore, pellets, fertilizers, and more in FY 2024-25.

The Ministry said that for the first time in the history of major ports, the Paradip Port Authority (PPA) and Deendayal Port Authority (DPA) surpassed the 150-million-tonne cargo handling mark, reinforcing their status as key hubs of maritime trade and operational excellence.

Meanwhile, Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority (JNPA) set a record by handling 7.3 million TEUs, reflecting a 13.5 per cent year-on-year growth, said the Ministry.

Operational performance continued to improve in FY 2024-25, with Pre-Berthing Detention (PBD) Time (on port account) improving by 36 per cent compared to FY 2023-24.

Financially, Major Ports witnessed an 8 per cent increase in total income in FY 2024-25, rising to Rs 24,203 crore from Rs 22,468 crore in FY 2023-24. Similarly, operating surplus grew 7 per cent to Rs 12,314 crore in FY 2024-25 from Rs 11,512 crore in FY 2023-24.

Expressing his joy and pride, the Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Sarbananda Sonowal stated, "From record-breaking cargo handling to significant improvements in operational parameters and financial performance, the achievements of FY 2024-25 reflect the resilience and readiness of our ports to support India's growing trade ambitions."

Containerized cargo saw a remarkable 70 per cent increase over the decade--from 7.9 million TEUs in FY 2014-15 to 13.5 million TEUs in FY 2024-25.

Conventional commodities such as coal, fertilizers, iron ore, and POL also witnessed significant growth over the last 10 years, added the Ministry. (ANI)