India’s new mega port classification applies to ports meeting specific cargo-handling thresholds.
Four ports were notified: Mundra, Deendayal (Kandla), Jawaharlal Nehru Port and Paradip.
The classification was introduced under Section 73 of the Indian Ports Act, 2025.
It took effect from September 25, 2026, and is valid for five years.
Mundra is the only privately operated port among the four.
Jawaharlal Nehru Port, located at Nhava Sheva near Mumbai, is one of India’s busiest container ports.
Deendayal Port, formerly known as Kandla Port, is located in Gujarat.
The mega port classification is expected to be reviewed periodically based on cargo-handling performance.
India’s port sector has seen significant private and public investment in recent years as trade volumes have grown.
The Indian Ports Act, 2025, replaced an older colonial-era law governing port administration in the country.
Cargo-handling capacity at major Indian ports has expanded steadily over the past decade.
Container throughput and bulk cargo volumes are commonly used indicators of a port’s scale and economic significance.
India’s coastline spans both the western Arabian Sea coast and the eastern Bay of Bengal coast, served by different major ports.
The Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways is the central government body responsible for port sector policy and regulation.
India’s Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways notified four ports as the country’s first ‘mega ports’.
The four ports are Mundra, Deendayal (Kandla), Jawaharlal Nehru Port (Nhava Sheva) and Paradip.
The classification was issued under Section 73 of the Indian Ports Act, 2025.
The notification was issued on September 25, 2026, and took effect from its publication in the Gazette of India.
The five-year classification is based on annual cargo-handling thresholds of 150 million tonnes for bulk ports or 7.5 million TEUs for container ports.
Mundra Port, operated by Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone, is the only privately owned facility among the four.
Mundra Port, Gujarat (representative image), Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
