Gujarat continues to dominate cargo handling among Indian states, maintaining its top position at both major and non-major ports over the last five years.
According to data from the Ministry of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways, Gujarat’s ports handled a staggering 581.63 million metric tonnes (MMT) of cargo in 2023-24, surpassing all other states by a significant margin. Deendayal Port alone managed 132.37 MMT, the second highest among major ports in India, just behind Paradip Port in Odisha, which handled 145.38 MMT.Meanwhile, among the non-major ports, Gujarat handled 449.26 MMT of cargo.
In comparison, states like Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh managed a total of 144.13 MMT and 199.23 MMT, respectively, across both major and non-major ports.
Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal, in reply to a question in the Lok Sabha during the ongoing session of Parliament, shared this information.
Cargo handled at Major Ports during 2019-20 to 2023-24 (In Million Metric Tonnes)
| States | Port | 2019-20 | 2020-21 | 2021-22 | 2022-23 | 2023-24 |
| Gujarat | Deendayal Port | 122.61 | 117.57 | 127.10 | 137.56 | 132.37 |
| Maharashtra | Mumbai Port | 60.70 | 53.32 | 59.89 | 63.61 | 67.26 |
| J. L. Nehru Port | 68.45 | 64.81 | 76.00 | 83.86 | 85.80 | |
| Goa | Mormugao Port | 16.02 | 21.99 | 18.46 | 17.33 | 20.63 |
| Karnataka | New MangalorePort | 39.14 | 36.50 | 39.30 | 41.42 | 45.71 |
| Kerala | Cochin Port | 34.04 | 31.50 | 34.55 | 35.26 | 36.32 |
|
Tamil Nadu |
V. O. ChidambaranarPort | 36.08 | 31.79 | 34.12 | 38.04 | 41.40 |
| Chennai Port | 46.76 | 43.55 | 48.56 | 48.95 | 51.60 | |
| Kamarajar Port | 31.75 | 25.89 | 38.74 | 43.51 | 45.28 | |
| AndhraPradesh | VisakhapatnamPort | 72.72 | 69.84 | 69.03 | 73.75 | 81.81 |
| Odisha | Paradip Port | 112.69 | 114.55 | 116.13 | 135.36 | 145.38 |
| WestBengal | SMP(Kolkata/Haldia) | 63.98 | 61.37 | 58.18 | 65.66 | 65.45 |
| Total | 704.92 | 672.68 | 720.05 | 784.31 | 819.01 | |
Cargo handled at Non- Major Ports during 2019-20 to 2023-24 (In Million Metric Tonnes)
| States | 2019-20 | 2020-21 | 2021-22 | 2022-23 | 2023-24 |
| Gujarat | 411.79 | 387.57 | 405.39 | 416.36 | 449.26 |
| Maharashtra | 43.66 | 39.84 | 52.47 | 71.26 | 76.87 |
| Goa | 0.01 | 0.04 | 0.03 | 0.01 | 0.01 |
| Andhra Pradesh | 99.90 | 89.64 | 87.98 | 101.43 | 117.42 |
| Karnataka | 0.94 | 0.79 | 0.79 | 1.06 | 0.89 |
| Kerala | 0.16 | 0.11 | 0.14 | 0.11 | 0.09 |
| Tamil Nadu | 11.37 | 7.41 | 7.84 | 9.87 | 10.13 |
| Puducherry | 10.10 | 7.33 | 5.84 | 10.12 | 12.31 |
| Odisha | 35.27 | 43.03 | 41.54 | 38.71 | 54.24 |
| Andaman Nicobar Islands | 1.85 | 1.43 | 1.54 | 1.88 | 2.00 |
| Lakshadweep | 0.00 | 0.12 | 0.18 | 0.22 | 0.20 |
| Total | 615.05 | 577.30 | 603.75 | 651.02 | 723.41 |