Chennai Port Authority announced that it has surpassed the 50 million metric tonnes (MMT) cargo throughput milestone for the current financial year 2025-26, marking a significant operational achievement for one of India’s key maritime gateways. The port reached this milestone on 1 March 2025, 22 days earlier than in the previous fiscal year, reflecting improved productivity and trade momentum.
According to official updates, Chennai Port has demonstrated strong performance across cargo segments, supported by enhanced operational efficiency and stakeholder collaboration. In the same period, the port also registered record container traffic, handling a record 1.66 million TEUs (Twenty-foot Equivalent Units) — the highest in recent years — underscoring robust container trade activity.
Port officials have attributed the milestone to streamlined procedures, better vessel turnaround times, and strengthened hinterland connectivity, which together have facilitated smoother cargo flows. Enhanced trade facilitation efforts and continuous coordination with shipping lines, freight operators and logistics partners have been key to the port’s accelerated throughput.
This achievement builds on the port’s recent performance trends: in the preceding fiscal year (2024-25), Chennai Port and neighbouring Kamarajar Port together handled more than 100 MMT of cargo, with Chennai Port contributing nearly 55 MMT to that total — marking a combined historic throughput for the two ports.
Chennai Port continues to enhance its capacity and efficiency as part of broader efforts to support India’s maritime trade growth, amid rising cargo demand across major Indian ports.
