Major Indian Ports Witness 3.2 Per Cent Y-o-Y Increase In Cargo Volume, Reflecting Steady Growth In Logistics Performance

According to an official statement released on Monday (5 June), the major ports in the country experienced a 3.2 per cent increase in cargo traffic in May of this year.

The Indian Ports Association (IPA) stated that during May 2023, these ports collectively managed a total cargo volume of 68.06 million metric tons (MT), compared to 65.95 MT handled in the same period last year — reflecting a year-on-year growth rate of 3.20 per cent.

A total of 12 major ports are operating in the country — Deendayal (Kandla), Mumbai, Mormugao, New Mangalore, Cochin, Chennai, Ennore (Kamarajar), Tuticorin (V O Chidambaranar), Visakhapatnam, Paradip, Kolkata (including Haldia), and Jawaharlal Nehru Port (JNPA).

According to the statement, eight ports out of these experienced an increase in its cargo traffic during the previous month.

Meanwhile, the remaining four ports witnessed a decline in cargo traffic compared to the same period last year.

Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port (SMP), Kolkata Port (Including Haldia) — showed the highest growth in cargo handling, with a year-on-year increase of 10.01 per cent in May.

This was followed by Visakhapatnam Port with a growth rate of 9.61 per cent, Mormugao Port with 9.43 per cent, and Paradip Port with 7.77 per cent, as reported by the IPA.

Additionally, JNPA recorded a positive growth of 7.13 per cent in cargo traffic during May 2023.

Cochin Port witnessed a growth rate of 6.86 per cent, New Mangalore Port experienced a growth of 3.88 per cent, and Mumbai Port showed a growth of 0.77 per cent, reflecting positive performance as against the previous year.

In addition, the World Bank in its recent Logistics Performance Index Report 2023 cited JN Port’s turnaround time for container ships is amongst the best for container ports globally, putting India in the list of top performers.