# Indian maritime infrastructure and port capacity expansion

> Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/indian-maritime-infrastructure-and-port-capacity-expansion
> Updated: 2026-10-27T03:51:57.000Z. Sources: 17. Developments: 3.

The Indian government has initiated a strategic upgrade of its maritime infrastructure by designating four major gateways—Deendayal Port, Mundra Port, Jawaharlal Nehru Port, and Paradip Port—as ‘Mega Ports’ under the Indian Ports Act, 2025. This designation aims to enhance logistics efficiency and support high-capacity international trade.

Following these administrative changes, major Indian ports have reported significant operational growth. Deendayal Port Authority set a national record by handling 963,951 metric tonnes of cargo in a single 24-hour period on October 2, 2026, surpassing a previous record set in September 2026. Additionally, the DP World-operated Chennai Container Terminal achieved its highest monthly container throughput in ten years during September 2026.

Further growth has been observed at Chennai Port Authority, which reached a five-year high in daily container handling on October 25, 2026, processing 9,929 TEUs. To manage this, the port has implemented an Empty Container Yard and digitalized processes. Meanwhile, the V.O. Chidambaranar Port Authority reported that through October of the 2026-27 fiscal year, cargo handling reached 25.18 million tonnes, representing a 3.01 per cent increase over the previous year.

## Timeline

### 2026-10-27: Indian ports report significant cargo and container handling growth

Chennai Port reached a five-year high in daily container throughput, while V.O. Chidambaranar Port reported a 3.01% increase in cargo handling for the current fiscal year.

2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/indian-ports-report-significant-cargo-and-container-handling-growth

### 2026-10-03: Indian ports report record-breaking cargo and container handling volumes

Indian ports Deendayal Port and Chennai Port have reached significant operational milestones, including record-breaking single-day cargo handling and decade-high container throughput.

3 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/indian-ports-report-record-breaking-cargo-and-container-handling-volumes

### 2026-09-25: India designates four major ports as Mega Ports

India has designated Paradip, Deendayal, Jawaharlal Nehru, and Mundra ports as ‘Mega Ports’ under the Indian Ports Act, 2025, to boost maritime infrastructure and trade capacity.

14 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/paradip-port-designated-as-indias-only-eastern-coast-mega-port

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Cite as: Indian maritime infrastructure and port capacity expansion. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/indian-maritime-infrastructure-and-port-capacity-expansion