India’s Port Cargo Handling Capacity Rises 22% But Logistics Bottlenecks Remain

India’s annual capacity for cargo handling has risen by 22% since 2017-18, but gaps still hold back trade efficiency, according to a report by FICCI and the consultancy Kearney.

National port capacity increased from 2.3 billion tonnes to 2.8 billion tonnes a year, according to ANI on November 3. The joint report was released at the Maritime India Conference & Expo 2026 hosted by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI) in Mumbai.

Cargo handling at major and non-major ports saw an increase from 1,209 million tonnes to 1,668 million tonnes, indicating a 38% increase. Port capacity utilization saw an increase from 52% to 59%, leaving considerable room for more capacity.

Efficiency has also improved at major ports. The average vessel turnaround time has reduced by 18% to around 49 hours. Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority, Pipavav and Mundra were among the top 30 featured dockyards in the Container Port Performance Index 2025 by the World Bank.

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