Centre Designates First Four Mega Ports Under Indian Ports Act 2025

What happened

The Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW) issued an official notification designating four ports as Mega Ports under Section 73 of the Indian Ports Act, 2025 (Act No. 27 of 2025). The notification was signed by Joint Secretary Praveen P Nair and published in the Gazette of India (Extraordinary). The designated ports are Deendayal Port (Kandla) and Mundra Port in Gujarat, Jawaharlal Nehru Port (JNPT) in Maharashtra, and Paradip Port in Odisha.

The qualification standards, formally notified on July 30, 2026, mandate that a facility must handle a minimum cargo throughput of 150 Million Metric Tonnes (MMT) of bulk cargo or 7.5 million Twenty-foot Equivalent Units (TEUs) of container cargo in the preceding financial year. Qualifying ports can be officially declared as mega ports within 90 days of achieving these operational benchmarks.

Among the four designated ports, three are situated along the western coast on the Arabian Sea. Paradip Port, located in the Jagatsinghpur district of Odisha on the Bay of Bengal, is the sole mega port on India's eastern coast. Paradip Port crossed the required threshold by handling a record 156.45 MMT in 2025–26, supported by its deep draught facility accommodating vessels up to 18.5 metres.

Mundra Port, situated in Kutch, Gujarat, is the only privately developed port in the list and is operated by Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone Ltd (APSEZ). Unlike the other three major ports, Mundra is legally categorized as a 'port other than a major port'. The Mega Port classification is purely performance-based and does not alter a port's underlying statutory status under Indian law.

📅 Important dates

✅ Eligibility

• Handling of at least 150 Million Metric Tonnes (MMT) of bulk cargo in the preceding financial year.
• Alternatively, handling of at least 7.5 million Twenty-foot Equivalent Units (TEUs) of container cargo in the preceding financial year.

📝 What candidates should do

• Memorise the exact quantitative criteria (150 MMT bulk or 7.5 million TEUs) for Banking and SSC general awareness questions.
• Map the geographical locations and coastal distribution of the four ports for UPSC and State PSC preliminary exams.
• Understand the legal difference between statutory classification (major vs non-major) and performance-based designation (mega port).

🔍 PrepZen analysis

The operationalisation of Section 73 under the Indian Ports Act, 2025 introduces a throughput-based classification framework to the Indian maritime sector. Aspirants should take note that the Mega Port tag is distinct from the statutory categorization of major and non-major ports. A facility like Mundra retains its non-major statutory classification under state maritime administration while sharing the national Mega Port designation with major trust-run or authority-run ports like JNPT, Deendayal, and Paradip.

From an exam perspective, questions are likely to test the newly introduced legislative benchmarks, including the 150 MMT or 7.5 million TEU thresholds, the 90-day notification window, and the 5-year validity tenure. Questions may also focus on spatial distribution, highlighting that three of the four ports are located on the western coast, with Paradip serving as the lone eastern hub.

✍️ Practice questions

❓ FAQs

Prepared by the PrepZen Editorial Team from official releases and verified reports, for exam preparation. Spotted an error? Write to prepzen.app@gmail.com.