Kandla crosses 50 mt cargo mark 19 days ahead of last year, retains top spot among major ports

Kandla port handled 42.76 MT of cargo during the period, accounting for 18.3% of the total cargo handled by the country’s 12 major ports.

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KANDLA PORT/ANI

The Deendayal Port Authority (DPA) at Kandla in Gujarat has crossed the 50 million tonne (MT) cargo handling milestone for the current financial year, 19 days ahead of last year’s pace, as the port continues to strengthen its position as the country’s top major port by cargo volumes.The milestone comes on the back of strong first-quarter performance, with Kandla retaining its position as India’s largest major port during April-June FY27, according to provisional data released by the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways. The port handled 42.76 MT of cargo during the period, accounting for 18.3% of the total cargo handled by the country’s 12 major ports. Kandla was followed by Paradip Port Authority, which handled 39.67 MT during the quarter, and Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority (JNPA), which handled 27.84 MT.The latest performance reinforces Kandla’s position as the leading major port by cargo volumes, supported by strong movement across both overseas and coastal segments.During April-June FY27, Deendayal Port remained the largest handler of overseas cargo among major ports, accounting for 21.17% of the total overseas cargo handled during the period. The port recorded 12.75% growth in overseas cargo and 12.96% growth in coastal cargo compared with the corresponding period last year.Overall, cargo handled at India’s major ports increased 6.18% year-on-year during April-June FY27 to 233.64 MT, compared with 220.04 MT in the same period of FY26. The growth was driven largely by coastal cargo, which increased 13.9%, while overseas cargo volumes grew 3.91%. Among major ports, JNPA recorded the fastest growth during the quarter, with cargo volumes rising 15.04% year-on-year. The port’s overseas cargo volumes increased 14.87%, while coastal cargo registered a sharper 17.23% growth during the period.Visakhapatnam Port Authority also reported strong growth, with overall cargo volumes rising 12.98% during April-June FY27. The port saw overseas cargo increase 10.46%, while coastal cargo volumes grew 20.73% year-on-year. While JNPA and Visakhapatnam emerged as the fastest-growing ports during the quarter, Kandla continued to maintain its leadership position in absolute cargo volumes.Paradip Port Authority, which remained the second-largest major port by volume during the quarter, accounted for 16.98% of total cargo handled by major ports. However, its overseas cargo traffic declined 6.8% year-on-year, even as coastal cargo volumes increased 12.9%. Paradip continued to lead the coastal cargo segment, handling 30.99% of the total coastal cargo moved by major ports during the quarter.Published on July 16, 2026