postUpdated Feb 25, 2026
Major Ports in India – Static GK / General Awareness for Competitive Exams (With Memory Tricks)
Major Ports in India are the backbone of India’s maritime trade, handling 95% of trade by volume. This topic is highly repetitive in SSC, UPSC Prelims, Banking, Railways, and Defence exams, especially through match-the-following, statements, and one-liners.
Jump to section
- Introduction: Major Ports in India (Why Exams Love This Topic)
- Major Sea Ports of India – Location, Exports & Key Features (Static GK)
- Classification of Major Ports in India
- New & Removed Status (Highly Exam-Relevant)
- Important Minor Ports (State-Managed)
- Sticky Memory Zone (Mnemonics)
- Don’t Confuse These (Very Common Traps)
- Key Exam-Oriented Facts
- Important One-Liners for SSC / Banking / UPSC Prelims
- Previous Year Questions (PYQ) Analysis
- Quick-Summary Table (Most Asked First)
Introduction: Major Ports in India (Why Exams Love This Topic)
India has a 7,517 km coastline, 13 major ports, and 200+ non-major ports. Major ports are administered by the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, while non-major ports are managed by State Maritime Boards.
This topic is frequently asked in UPSC Prelims, SSC CGL/CHSL, IBPS, RRB, CDS, and State PCS.
Major Sea Ports of India – Location, Exports & Key Features (Static GK)
| S.N. | Major Sea Port | Location (State/UT) | Major Exports | Key Features (Exam-Oriented) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Port Blair | Andaman & Nicobar Islands | Iron ore, pharmaceuticals, processed goods | ❌ No longer a major port (status removed in 2017); Connected to mainland India by sea & air |
| 2 | Visakhapatnam Port | Andhra Pradesh | Coal, alumina, iron ore, petroleum | Deepest port in India; Shipbuilding & ship-repair facilities; Iron ore exports to Japan |
| 3 | Mormugao Port | Goa | Iron ore | Located on the Zuari River estuary; Important iron-ore exporting port |
| 4 | Deendayal Port (Kandla) | Gujarat | Textiles, chemicals, machinery, manganese | Tidal port; Trade Free Zone; One of the largest ports by cargo volume |
| 5 | New Mangalore Port | Karnataka | Iron ore | Only major port of Karnataka; Major iron-ore export hub |
| 6 | Cochin Port | Kerala | Tea, coffee, spices | Located in Vembanad Lake; Major spice & salt export centre |
| 7 | Jawaharlal Nehru Port | Maharashtra | Textiles, chemicals, pharmaceuticals | Largest container port of India; Largest artificial port |
| 8 | Mumbai Port | Maharashtra | Textiles, chemicals, machinery | Largest natural harbour in India; One of the busiest ports |
| 9 | Paradip Port | Odisha | Iron ore, aluminium, iron | Natural deep-water port; Leading bulk cargo handler |
| 10 | Chennai Port | Tamil Nadu | Rice, textiles, leather goods | Artificial port; One of India’s busiest ports |
| 11 | Kamarajar Port (Ennore) | Tamil Nadu | Iron ore, coal, petroleum | India’s first corporatised major port |
| 12 | V.O. Chidambaranar Port (Tuticorin) | Tamil Nadu | Salt, fertilisers, petroleum | Major petrochemical & fertiliser handling port |
| 13 | Haldia Port | West Bengal | Jute, steel, iron ore | Deep-water dock complex of Kolkata Port |
| 14 | Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port (Kolkata) | West Bengal | Tea, coal, iron ore, steel | India’s only major riverine port; On Hooghly (Hugli) River; Also called Diamond Harbour system |
Classification of Major Ports in India
Western Coast Major Ports (Arabian Sea)
Mnemonic: “DM-JVM NK”
- Deendayal Port (Gujarat)
- Largest by cargo volume (historically)
- Tidal port, Trade Free Zone
- Key corridors: IMEEC, INSTC
- Mumbai Port (Maharashtra)
- Largest natural harbour
- Oldest modern port (1873)
- Jawaharlal Nehru Port (Maharashtra)
- Largest container port of India
- Handles 55%+ container traffic
- Vadhavan Port (Maharashtra)
- 13th Major Port (Approved 2024)
- Artificial harbour, Panamax & Capesize
- Mormugao Port (Goa)
- On Zuari River estuary
- Iron ore, cruise tourism
- New Mangalore Port (Karnataka)
- Only major port of Karnataka
- Deepest inner harbour (west coast)
- Cochin Port (Kerala)
- On Vembanad Lake
- India’s largest ICTT (Vallarpadam)
Eastern Coast Major Ports (Bay of Bengal)
Mnemonic: “TV-CP-KKP”
- V.O. Chidambaranar Port (Tamil Nadu)
- Third-largest container terminal
- Named after V.O. Chidambaram Pillai
- Chennai Port (Tamil Nadu)
- Second-largest container port
- Chennai–Vladivostok Corridor
- Kamarajar Port (Tamil Nadu)
- First corporatised major port
- Thermal coal, LNG
- Visakhapatnam Port (Andhra Pradesh)
- One of busiest ports
- Seafood export leader
- Paradip Port (Odisha)
- Largest major port by cargo (FY 2023–24)
- Deep-water port
- Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port (West Bengal)
- Only riverine major port
- On Hooghly River
New & Removed Status (Highly Exam-Relevant)
- New Major Port (2024): Vadhavan Port
Shareholding: JNPA (74%) : Maharashtra Maritime Board (26%) - Removed Major Port: Port Blair (2017)
Reason: Lack of container traffic
Important Minor Ports (State-Managed)
Examples frequently asked:
- Dahej (Gujarat) – LNG hub
- Azhikkal, Beypore, Ponnani (Kerala)
- Belekeri, Kundapur (Karnataka)
Sticky Memory Zone (Mnemonics)
- Western Coast: DM-JVM NK
- Eastern Coast: TV-CP-KKP
- First Corporatised Port: E = Ennore
- Only Riverine Port: K = Kolkata
👉 Helps in match-the-following & elimination questions.
Don’t Confuse These (Very Common Traps)
- Mumbai Port ❌ vs JNPT ✔ (Container king is JNPT)
- Paradip ❌ vs Kandla ✔ (Largest cargo = Paradip now)
- Ennore ❌ vs Chennai ✔ (Ennore = corporatised)
- Port Blair ❌ vs Vadhavan ✔ (Port Blair removed)
Key Exam-Oriented Facts
- 13 Major Ports (2024)
- 95% trade by volume, 70% by value
- Cargo capacity target 2200 MMTPA by 2030
- Guided by Sagarmala Programme
Important One-Liners for SSC / Banking / UPSC Prelims
- JNPT is India’s largest container port.
- Paradip became the largest major port in FY24.
- Kolkata is India’s only riverine major port.
- Ennore is India’s first corporatised port.
- Vadhavan is the newest major port (2024).
- Kandla is a tidal port.
- Mumbai has India’s largest natural harbour.
- Kochi hosts India’s largest ICTT.
Previous Year Questions (PYQ) Analysis
- UPSC Prelims 2023 – Match the following (Ports & Features)
- SSC CGL – One-liners (largest / first / only)
- IBPS & RRB – Location-based MCQs
- UPSC – Statement-based (Corporatisation, corridors)
Quick-Summary Table (Most Asked First)
| Most Asked Point | Answer / Fact | Exam Relevance |
|---|---|---|
| Total Major Ports (2024) | 13 | SSC, UPSC |
| Newest Major Port | Vadhavan (2024) | UPSC Prelims |
| Largest Container Port | JNPT | SSC, Banking |
| Only Riverine Major Port | Kolkata Port | Railways |
| Largest by Cargo (FY24) | Paradip Port | UPSC |
| First Corporatised Port | Kamarajar (Ennore) | SSC |
| Removed Major Port | Port Blair (2017) | Static GK |
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many major ports are there in India?
India has 13 major ports as of 2024, administered by the central government.
Which is the newest major port of India?
Vadhavan Port in Maharashtra became India’s 13th major port in 2024.
Which port is the largest container port in India?
Jawaharlal Nehru Port handles the highest container traffic in India.
Which port is called India’s only riverine major port?
Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port (Kolkata) is the only riverine major port.
Which port lost its major port status?
Port Blair lost major port status in 2017 due to low container traffic.
Which is the largest privately owned port in India ?
Mundra Port
