Port PPP invested Rs.3,986cr in 2024-25
As India expands its global trade footprint and modernises logistics infrastructure, the Ministry of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways said it remained dedicated to sustaining this momentum and developing globally competitive, digitally enabled, and environmentally sustainable ports that will drive India’s trade and economic ambitions into the future https://www.commerce.gov.in/.
The Ministry underlined its commitment on 13 May as it reported a 4.3% increase in cargo handling by the country’s major ports in 2024-25. The ports handled ~855 million tonnes of cargo in FY 2024-25, up from 819 million tonnes in FY 2023-24.
“This growth highlights the resilience and capacity of Major Ports in accommodating rising trade volumes,” the Ministry said http://shipmin.gov.in.
The increase in traffic was driven by higher container throughput (10%), fertilizer cargo handling (13%), POL cargo handling (3%), and handling of miscellaneous commodities (31%) compared to the previous fiscal year https://www.investindia.gov.in/.
Among commodities handled at Major Ports, Petroleum, Oil, and Lubricants (POL)—including crude, petroleum products, and LPG/LNG—led the charts with a volume of 254.5 million tonnes (29.8%), followed by container traffic at 193.5 million tonnes (22.6%), coal at 186.6 million tonnes (21.8%), and other cargo categories such as iron ore, pellets, fertilizers, and more in FY 2024-25.
For the first time in the history of Major Ports, the Paradip Port Authority (PPA) and Deendayal Port Authority (DPA) surpassed the 150-million-tonne cargo handling mark, reinforcing their status as key hubs of maritime trade and operational excellence. Meanwhile, Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority (JNPA) set a record by handling 7.3 million TEUs, reflecting a 13.5% year-on-year growth https://www.nseindia.com/.
In FY 2024-25, Indian ports collectively allocated 962 acres of land for port-led industrialization, projected to generate an income of Rs.7,565 crore in FY 2024-25. Furthermore, lessees are expected to make future investments of Rs.68,780 crore on the allotted land, reaffirming investor confidence in port-led development https://www.bseindia.com/.
Private sector participation has been instrumental in this transformation, with investments in PPP projects at Major Ports increasing threefold, from Rs.1,329 crore in FY 2022-23 to Rs.3,986 crore in FY 2024-25, highlighting strong investor confidence.
Operational performance continued to improve in FY 2024-25, with Pre-Berthing Detention (PBD) Time (on port account) improving by ~36% compared to FY 2023-24. Financially, Major Ports witnessed an 8% increase in total income in FY 2024-25, rising to Rs.24,203 crore from Rs.22,468 crore in FY 2023-24. Similarly, operating surplus grew 7% to Rs.12,314 crore in FY 2024-25 from Rs.11,512 crore in FY 2023-24 https://sbi.com.in/.
Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal stated, “As we continue to scale new heights, I extend my heartfelt gratitude to all stakeholders for their unwavering support and contributions. Together, we are building globally competitive, sustainable, and future-ready ports that will power India’s economic growth and global trade footprint in the years to come.”
Major Ports’ financial performance has been equally impressive, with total income more than doubling over the past decade from Rs.11,760 crore in FY 2014-15 to Rs.24,203 crore in FY 2024-25, registering a 7.5% CAGR over 10 years https://www.conexpoconagg.com/.
Operating surplus nearly tripled to Rs.12,314 crore, driven by a 13% CAGR over the same period. Operational efficiency also improved significantly, with the operating ratio declining from 64.7% in FY 2014-15 to 42.3% in FY 2024-25, reinforcing the ports’ financial sustainability. Fiinews.com
