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.
Delays after customs discharge are still a major hurdle. According to the 2025 National Time Release Study for four key seaports, export approvals needed an average of 30 hours.
The gap between official clearance and vessel departure remained 158 hours, which accounted for 84% of the total time. The report says the gap shows logistics activity and scheduled waiting, not just avoidable delay.
As of May 2025, international ports handled around 75% of India’s transshipment containers. Vizhinjam began to operate that month and added deep-water capacity. The report says that changes in shipping-line rotations reflect the continuing structural challenges in building domestic transshipment, according to ANI.
The report compares India’s commercial corridors with major hubs like Shanghai-Ningbo, Singapore, Jebel Ali and Rotterdam. It called for specific development plans for transshipment hubs, container ports, and export corridors.
The report recommends strategizing a plan for port investment alongside inland transport and shipping services. It urges prioritizing road and rail links around cargo flows and using shipment-time data to identify any bottlenecks.
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