Major Ports: Container Traffic
Containerisation started in India in 1973 in a limited way with the creation of interim container handling facilities at Mumbai and Cochin Ports. Since then, container traffic has steadily increased over the years, in tune with the increasing use of containers in international trade
Container traffic is measured in both the Twenty-foot Equivalent Unit (TEU) and in Million tonnes per annum terms
Read our Section for a detailed coverage on Containerisation
Table below captures trend in Port-wise container traffic in million tonnes per annum
| Year | Container Traffic Deendayal MMTPA | Container Traffic Mumbai MMTPA | Container Traffic Jawaharlal Nehru MMTPA | Container Traffic Mormugao MMTPA | Container Traffic New Mangalore MMTPA | Container Traffic Cochin MMTPA | Container Traffic V O Chidambanar MMTPA | Container Traffic Chennai MMTPA | Container Traffic Kamarajar MMTPA | Container Traffic Visakhapatnam MMTPA MMTPA | Container Traffic Paradip MMTPA | Container Traffic SMP Kolkata Haldia MMTPA | Container Traffic Major Ports MMTPA | Share Deendayal pct | Share Mumbai pct | Share Jawaharlal Nehru pct | Share Mormugao pct | Share New Mangalore pct | Share Cochin pct | Share V O Chidambanar pct | Share Chennai pct | Share Kamarajar pct | Share Visakhapatnam pct | Share Paradip pct | Share SMP Kolkata Haldia pct | Total Major Ports Container Traffic |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-24 | 8.5 | 0.2 | 78.1 | 0.0 | 2.8 | 10.2 | 14.9 | 30.7 | 11.1 | 0.2 | 13.0 | 11.9 | 181.6 | 4.7 | 0.1 | 43.0 | 0.0 | 1.5 | 5.6 | 8.2 | 16.9 | 6.1 | 0.1 | 7.1 | 6.6 | 100.0 |
| 2022-23 | 8.6 | 0.2 | 76.2 | 0.0 | 2.4 | 10.0 | 14.7 | 28.4 | 8.5 | 0.2 | 10.6 | 10.6 | 170.3 | 5.0 | 0.1 | 44.7 | 0.0 | 1.4 | 5.9 | 8.6 | 16.7 | 5.0 | 0.1 | 6.2 | 6.2 | 100.0 |
| 2021-22 | 8.6 | 0.2 | 69.1 | 0.2 | 2.3 | 10.3 | 15.9 | 30.9 | 8.6 | 0.2 | 9.3 | 11.8 | 167.4 | 5.1 | 0.1 | 41.3 | 0.1 | 1.4 | 6.1 | 9.5 | 18.5 | 5.1 | 0.1 | 5.5 | 7.0 | 100.0 |
| 2020-21 | 8.3 | 0.3 | 57.7 | 0.3 | 2.3 | 9.6 | 15.0 | 26.8 | 8.2 | 0.3 | 3.9 | 11.2 | 143.7 | 5.8 | 0.2 | 40.2 | 0.2 | 1.6 | 6.6 | 10.5 | 18.6 | 5.7 | 0.2 | 2.7 | 7.8 | 100.0 |
| 2019-20 | 7.0 | 0.3 | 60.9 | 0.4 | 2.3 | 8.6 | 16.4 | 26.7 | 8.6 | 0.2 | 2.5 | 12.8 | 146.9 | 4.7 | 0.2 | 41.5 | 0.3 | 1.6 | 5.9 | 11.2 | 18.2 | 5.9 | 0.2 | 1.7 | 8.7 | 100.0 |
| 2018-19 | 4.0 | 0.4 | 62.1 | 0.5 | 1.9 | 8.1 | 15.0 | 31.3 | 8.0 | 0.2 | 1.1 | 13.1 | 145.5 | 2.7 | 0.3 | 42.7 | 0.3 | 1.3 | 5.6 | 10.3 | 21.5 | 5.5 | 0.2 | 0.8 | 9.0 | 100.0 |
| 2017-18 | 1.8 | 0.6 | 57.9 | 0.4 | 1.7 | 7.7 | 14.2 | 29.9 | 6.8 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 12.4 | 133.7 | 1.4 | 0.5 | 43.3 | 0.3 | 1.3 | 5.8 | 10.6 | 22.4 | 5.1 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 9.3 | 100.0 |
| 2016-17 | 0.2 | 0.6 | 54.5 | 0.4 | 1.4 | 6.8 | 13.0 | 28.9 | 6.4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 12.4 | 124.7 | 0.1 | 0.5 | 43.7 | 0.3 | 1.1 | 5.5 | 10.4 | 23.1 | 5.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 9.9 | 100.0 |
| 2015-16 | 0.1 | 0.6 | 56.8 | 0.3 | 1.1 | 5.8 | 12.4 | 30.2 | 5.1 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 10.6 | 123.2 | 0.0 | 0.5 | 46.1 | 0.3 | 0.9 | 4.7 | 10.1 | 24.5 | 4.2 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 8.6 | 100.0 |
| 2014-15 | 0.0 | 0.5 | 56.9 | 0.3 | 0.9 | 5.2 | 11.0 | 29.9 | 4.4 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 10.1 | 119.4 | 0.0 | 0.5 | 47.7 | 0.3 | 0.8 | 4.4 | 9.2 | 25.1 | 3.7 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 8.4 | 100.0 |
| 2013-14 | 0.5 | 0.4 | 55.2 | 0.2 | 0.7 | 4.8 | 10.1 | 28.3 | 4.9 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 9.3 | 114.7 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 48.2 | 0.2 | 0.7 | 4.2 | 8.8 | 24.7 | 4.3 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 8.1 | 100.0 |
| 2012-13 | 1.9 | 0.8 | 57.9 | 0.3 | 0.7 | 4.6 | 9.4 | 29.7 | 4.6 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 9.8 | 119.9 | 1.6 | 0.7 | 48.3 | 0.2 | 0.6 | 3.8 | 7.8 | 24.8 | 3.8 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 8.2 | 100.0 |
| 2011-12 | 2.8 | 0.6 | 58.2 | 0.3 | 0.6 | 4.7 | 9.2 | 30.1 | 4.2 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 9.4 | 120.3 | 2.3 | 0.5 | 48.4 | 0.2 | 0.5 | 3.9 | 7.7 | 25.0 | 3.5 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 7.8 | 100.0 |
| 2010-11 | 2.6 | 0.7 | 56.4 | 0.2 | 0.6 | 4.4 | 8.2 | 29.4 | 2.6 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 9.1 | 114.2 | 2.3 | 0.6 | 49.4 | 0.2 | 0.5 | 3.9 | 7.2 | 25.8 | 2.3 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 7.9 | 100.0 |
| 2009-10 | 2.4 | 0.6 | 53.1 | 0.2 | 0.5 | 3.9 | 6.6 | 23.5 | 1.7 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 8.7 | 101.3 | 2.4 | 0.6 | 52.4 | 0.2 | 0.5 | 3.9 | 6.5 | 23.2 | 1.7 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 8.6 | 100.0 |
| 2008-09 | 2.1 | 1.3 | 50.6 | 0.2 | 0.4 | 3.5 | 5.5 | 20.6 | 1.4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 7.8 | 93.4 | 2.3 | 1.4 | 54.2 | 0.2 | 0.4 | 3.8 | 5.9 | 22.0 | 1.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 8.4 | 100.0 |
| 2007-08 | 2.6 | 1.6 | 51.9 | 0.2 | 0.3 | 3.2 | 5.6 | 18.1 | 1.1 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 7.5 | 92.2 | 2.8 | 1.8 | 56.3 | 0.2 | 0.3 | 3.5 | 6.1 | 19.6 | 1.2 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 8.2 | 100.0 |
| 2006-07 | 2.8 | 1.6 | 40.8 | 0.2 | 0.3 | 2.9 | 4.0 | 14.2 | 0.8 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 5.9 | 73.5 | 3.8 | 2.2 | 55.5 | 0.2 | 0.4 | 4.0 | 5.5 | 19.3 | 1.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 8.1 | 100.0 |
| 2005-06 | 2.3 | 2.1 | 33.8 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 2.5 | 3.4 | 11.8 | 0.6 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 5.1 | 62.0 | 3.7 | 3.5 | 54.5 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 4.0 | 5.5 | 19.0 | 1.0 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 8.3 | 100.0 |
| 2004-05 | 2.8 | 2.6 | 28.7 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 2.3 | 3.2 | 9.9 | 0.6 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 4.4 | 54.8 | 5.0 | 4.7 | 52.5 | 0.3 | 0.2 | 4.2 | 5.8 | 18.0 | 1.2 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 8.0 | 100.0 |
In tonnage terms, share of JNPT during 2023-24 in total container traffic stood at 43% making it the premier container port in India. Other important container handling ports, in the order of their share in India’s total container traffic were Chennai (16.9%), V.O. Chidambaranar (8.2%), Paradip (7.1%), SMP Kolkata Dock System (6.6%), Kamarajar (6.1%), Cochin (5.6%), Deendayal (4.7%), New Mangalore (1.5%) Vishakhapatnam and Mumbai each 0.1%
The share of Mumbai Port in container traffic has seen a steady decline, due to diversion of container traffic to JNPA
View the trends graphically