India has a total of 13 major ports and 200 notified minor and intermediate ports. Ports play a vital role in the overall economic development.

About 95 percent by volume and 70 percent by value of India’s international trade are carried on through maritime transport. 

• Kolkata Port, West Bengal 

• Paradip Port, Odisha 

• New Mangalore Port, Karnataka  

• Cochin Port, Kerala 

• Jawaharlal Nehru Port, Mumbai, Maharashtra. It is the largest container port in India, handling around half of the containers of all major ports.  

• Mumbai Port, Maharashtra 

• Kandla Port, Gujarat 

• Vizag port, Vishakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh  

• Chennai Port, Tamil Nadu second largest port of India  after JNPT 

• Tuticorin Port (V.O. Chidambaranar Port) 

• Ennore Port, Tamil Nadu 

• Mormugao port, Goa  

• Port Blair Port, Andaman &Nicobar Islands. 

It is closer to two international shipping lines viz. Saudi Arabia-Singapore and US-Singapore. 

Differentiation between the Major Ports and Minor Ports. 

There is no strict association of the traffic volume with these terms. For example, the Mundra port of Gujarat is a minor port, but it has registered a traffic volume much larger than some of the major ports. 

The Union Shipping Ministry administers the major ports, the minor and intermediate ports are administered by the relevant departments or ministries. 

MAJOR PORTS OF WORLD