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No major port in the country has been privatised in the last 10 years, with the government retaining ownership of land and core port assets while allowing private participation in the development and operation of terminals through the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) mode, the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways said on Tuesday.
The government said the 12 major ports in the country are under the control of the Government of India. While Kamarajar Port is a wholly owned subsidiary of Chennai Port Authority, the remaining 11 major ports are governed by the Major Port Authorities Act, 2021. The Ministry said major ports provide common infrastructure and regulatory oversight, while specified berths and terminals are developed and operated either by the respective Port Authority or through private participation under the PPP mode or the Captive Policy, 2016. Over the last decade, several terminals and port infrastructure projects have been developed under the PPP model through transparent and competitive bidding. Major projects have been undertaken at ports including Jawaharlal Nehru Port, Paradip Port, Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port and Visakhapatnam Port. The government said the approach follows the landlord port model, under which private players participate in the development, operation, maintenance and modernisation of port infrastructure, while ownership and overall administration remain with the respective port authorities. According to the data released by the Ministry, revenue generated by the country's Major Ports increased from Rs 17,671.49 crore in FY 2021-22 to Rs 26,582.77 crore in FY 2025-26. The figures for FY 2025-26 are provisional and unaudited. Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority recorded the highest revenue among the Major Ports in FY 2025-26 at Rs 4,356.34 crore, followed by Deendayal Port Authority at Rs 3,437.25 crore and Mumbai Port Authority at Rs 3,318.74 crore. Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port Authority earned Rs 3,126.43 crore, while Paradip Port Authority recorded revenue of Rs 2,893.62 crore during the same financial year. The Ministry said the government has standardised the Model Concession Agreement (MCA) to ensure transparency, competition and protection of public interest in the management of Major Ports. All PPP projects are awarded following open competitive bidding. The government said greater private sector participation through competitive and transparent bidding is aimed at improving operational efficiency, augmenting port capacity, attracting private investment and enhancing service delivery, while ensuring that ownership of Major Ports remains with the government. (ANI)
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