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How Many Ports & Terminals are There in India?

 India’s extended coastline offers enough portions of land extending into a water body and favors the building of distinct ports & terminals, and handling cargo traffic. It is one of the biggest peninsulas across the globe and around 95 percent of its trading is serviced by 13 major ports (12 Government-owned and one private) and 187 reported minor and intermediate ports. 

Ports are especially multifunctional commodities, and this trait is the result of the collaborative activities of several specialized terminals, each dealing with different entities such as containers, oil, iron, etc. Therefore, a port can be understood as the combination of distinct port terminal services, developed either to fulfill a specific function or serving a single user. The main ports and terminals include:

  • Break-bulk

  • Dry-bulk

  • Liquid-bulk

  • Containers

  • Ro-Ro

  • Passengers

Of all the primary port functions, its prime functionality is to supply services to freight and ships. Ports are cargo-oriented establishments employing several operating and managerial activities to deliver seamless port functions.  

In terms of the freight they deal with, the classification of ports can be done into monofunctional ports and polyfunctional ports.

Monofunctional ports are usually loading centers that involve outbound activities and transit a limited array of commodities whereas Polyfunctional ports are extensive harbors that involve inbound-related facilities. They involve transshipment and industrial activities.

Apart from that port automation is the emerging need of the hour to ease congestion, and promote economic growth. These ports employ integrated technologies to invent intelligent solutions for more efficient traffic and seamless workflow across the port, consequently improving port efficiency and capacity.

There is a big list of automated ports internationally that have embraced Smart Port initiatives, each with distinct approaches. We are eagerly looking forward to when India will embrace this fastest-going strategy than conventional methods. 

A few port companies in India:

Indian Ports Association: Indian Ports Association (IPA) was established in 1966 under the Societies Registration Act,  with the intent of promoting the growth and development of the Ministry of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways. 

Public Private Partnerships In India - Ports: The PPP Cell was formed in 2006 in the DEA and performs as the Secretariat for policy-level matters concerning PPPs, including policies, programs, schemes, and capacity building. It also handles the websites www.infrastructureindia.gov.in and www.pppinindia.gov.in 

Mumbai Port Trust: Mumbai Port has played a pivotal role in the development of the national economy, trade & commerce. It was primarily designed to handle general cargo and to serve the changing needs of maritime trade; however it now also develops specialized berths for handling POL and chemicals.

Deendayal Port Trust: Kandla, also known as the Deendayal Port Authority is a seaport in Kutch (Gujarat) in western India, located near the city of Gandhidham. It is one of the major ports on the west coast and is known for handling the highest volume of cargo in the entire country.

Kolkata Port Trust: Port of Kolkata or Kolkata Port, also known as Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port Trust (officially)is the only riverine major port in India, located in Kolkata, West Bengal. It was established by the British East India Company and is the oldest operating port in India. The port has two dock systems — Kolkata Dock (Kolkata) and a deep water dock (Haldia Dock Complex, Haldia).

Cochin Port Trust:t Cochin Port was established in AD 1341 as a result of the heavy floods in the river Periyar.  Thereafter, Cochin was formed and emerged as a trading hub. The Cochin Port Authority aims to provide reliable, cost-effective port services through modern infrastructure coupled with efficient and high-quality services. In pursuit of this, the goal of the Cochin Port Authority is economic development with a commitment to environmentally sound policies and safe practices.

Mundra Port: Mundra Port is a major economic gateway that acts as the northern frontier of India with multimodal connectivity. It is the largest commercial port in India that facilitates the biggest Coal Import Terminal with cutting-edge infrastructure and provides faster evacuation of cargos with minimal turnaround time.

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