Port Trust

India’s ports and shipping sector are crucial to maintaining its trade and economic expansion. There is a significant volume of container and freight traffic handled by India’s 13 major post trust. As a result, they increase foreign exchange and tourism in India, which helps to increase employment and revenue growth.

The port trusts are established in the port areas like Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai and so on for two purposes:

(a) to manage and protect the ports; and

(b) to provide civic amenities.

A port trust is created by an Act of Parliament. It consists of both elected and nominated members.
Its chairman is an official. Its civic functions are more or less similar to those of a municipality.

List of Port Trust Boards

There are currently 13 “major ports” in India, all but Ennore Port being run by a Port Trust Board. Ennore Port is a public enterprise limited by guarantee that the federal government owns entirely. The following ports have a Port Trust Board:

• Mumbai
• Kolkata
• Chennai
• Kandla
• Jawaharlal Nehru Port (near Mumbai)
• Mormugao
• New Mangalore
• Cochin
• V.O. Chidambaranar Port
• Port Blair (Andaman and Nicobar islands)
• Visakhapatnam
• Paradip

13 Major Ports in India

In India, all ports are found in coastal regions like Maharashtra, Gujarat, and Odisha. On the 5,600 km of coastline, there are 185 small ports and 13 big ports.

Major ports in India are run by the central government, whereas smaller ports are on the concurrent list of concessions and are run by the corresponding states.

The following is a list of India’s 13 principal ports:

• Visakhapatnam Port: The majority of the cargo handling on the East Coast is reported to take place at the Andhra Pradesh port of Visakhapatnam.
• Port Blair: Established in 2010, it is India’s newest significant port. The port is important strategically for India because it is much closer to international transportation routes like Saudi Arabia-Singapore and US-Singapore.
• Kolkata Port: The Hooghly River runs alongside Kolkata Port, which is about 128 kilometers from the Bay of Bengal. Trade with Southeast Asian nations and Australia is the main focus of this port. The only port having two docks, the Kolkata Dock and the Haldia Dock, is the Port of Kolkata, popularly known as the “Gateway to East India.” The principal imports from this port are fertilizers, machinery, and crude oil.
• Port of Ennore:  The Coromandel Coast’s Port of Ennore is located 24 kilometers from Chennai Port. It is the biggest coal exporter. One of India’s privately owned ports, it processes roughly 16 million tonnes of coal annually.
• Paradeep Port:  India’s primary deep-sea port is located in Orissa at Paradeep Port. Because of its depth, it can accommodate large, hefty containers. For the transportation of cargo, this port features a train on-site. Coal and iron ore are the two principal commodities traded through this port.
• Chennai Port:  The second-busiest port in India is Chennai Port, sometimes referred to as Madras Port. The third-oldest port in India, the port started operating in 1881. It intends to increase cargo handling to close to 140 million. It is significant historically.
• Jawaharlal Nehru Port:  The largest container port in India is the Jawaharlal Nehru Port, often known as Nhava Sheva. It is situated in Maharashtra’s eastern Mumbai. The names of the two nearby villages are where Nhava Sheva gets its name. The Government of India has complete authority over it.
• Mormugao Port: The port of Mormugao is Goa’s principal port and is essential to the operations of the state. It exports tons of iron ore per year, making it India’s top iron ore exporter.
• Tuticorin Port:  In the Gulf of Mannar, there is a man-made harbor called Tuticorin Port. Because it is well renowned for gathering pearls in the Bay of Bengal, it is also known as Pearl City. Coal, salt, petroleum products, and fertilizers are traded at this port.
• Kandla Port: The Diendayal Port Trust is located in Kandla, which is a port and town in Gujarat’s Kutch area and is close to Gandhidham. On the West Coast, it is one of the most significant ports. The Tide Port is another name for it. Additionally, Mumbai Port, the busiest port in terms of cargo volume, experiences less congestion.
• Cochin Port: In the Arab Sea, Cochin Port is a significant port. It is one of India’s biggest ports and the country’s first envelope terminal. On the two islands of Kochi Lake lies the harbor. In southwest India, Cochin Port is frequently referred to as a natural gateway for industrial and agricultural markets. The export of coffee, tea, and spices is done through this port.
• Mangalore Port : It is situated in Panambur, Karnataka, where the Gurupura River meets the Arabian Sea. The port’s early services included housing for small vessels. However, it was expanded to accommodate huge ships following the Fourth Five Year Plan. Tea, coffee, oil, fish, rubber, crude oil, and fertilizers are all traded through this port.
• Mumbai Port: India’s largest port in terms of area and volume of shipping is located in Mumbai. The 1012-meter depth of this natural harbor makes it simple to dock and carry big cargo ships. 20% of all international trade is handled by the Mumbai Port, which is crucial to the Indian economy. Multiple imports and exports are regulated by four piers, including those for manganese, crude oil, petroleum, textiles, tobacco, liquid chemicals, leather, and heavy equipment.